


It's The Little Things

by SilverSerenity



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: A/B/O, Alpha!Negan, F/M, Fingering, Forced Nudity, Language, Smut, Some daddy kink, Teasing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-09-15 13:33:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 29,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16934190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverSerenity/pseuds/SilverSerenity
Summary: Cosette is an omega who has been surviving the best she can with her sisters. Only when they’re separated while running from men who came looking for them she realizes she’d going to have to figure everything out on her own. Especially when she’s caught by the alpha himself, and is too weak to get away. She knows she doesn’t really have the time to just wait and see what will happen, but there isn’t another choice.





	1. Running From The Beginning

Cosette had been running and hiding for two days now. The men at the motel had known there was an omega there, but she and her sisters got away at the last second. She hoped her sisters got away at least. They’d all taken off in different directions. Cosette had lost the one tailing her after a half hour, she thought she wouldn’t make it, but she did when the woods got thicker. The man following her must have been too big to easily navigate it, or she was just that little… both? Either way she’d been too scared to swing back around immediately after losing him. She had a week, but she was afraid she was lost and wouldn’t make it back in time. What if she didn’t make it back? She’d be all alone!

Cosette dropped down against a tree trunk. She was tired, so tired. She’d slept maybe a couple hours here and there. It was hard. It was getting colder outside and she didn’t have her jacket. She hadn’t been thinking about it. The days were still fairly warm… However, a flannel button up, over a tank top was not going to cut it soon. It was barely cutting it now. Worse, she kept second guessing the direction she was going in. She’d been so scared though. She’d been terrified, and she hadn’t been concentrating on where she was running to. Cosette had been able to tell it was an alpha following her. She could smell it. It’d been so hard to keep running knowing, if that alpha caught her he’d be furious with her for not submitting right away. Her whole body just begged to stop and get on her knees. That had been scarier than being hunted though, so she pushed herself faster.

Right now, she just wanted to sleep… but if she wanted to sleep she’d have to climb a tree… she couldn’t risk falling asleep on the ground and waking up lunch to some walker… Sleeping in trees held their own dangers however, such as falling to her death.

She only had another day, maybe two… and she’d start to do more than attract walkers. She’d start attracting alphas, maybe some really dominant betas… anyone with a taste for omega… First her scent would come back and sometimes it came back strong the box warned, making omega's even more irresistible. Then she’d start getting preheat symptoms, and then finally she’d go into heat… she had maybe two weeks before it’d hit, a month if she was lucky.

She’d only gone into a real heat once before she started taking suppressants. She’d only had to deal with it once before the dead started walking. It’d been awful. It’d been worse knowing her parents and Alice were in the house, and they knew what she was going through, at least physically. Mina had stopped by with… stuff… The “soft heats” had been nothing. Nesting, getting a couple days off from school to sleep, maybe run a little hot, cuddling with her family. She hadn’t enjoyed being needy, but it was just how it was. Real heats were not cute cuddle fests!

Cosette hadn’t ever wanted to go into heat again, and that certainly hadn't changed now that she could go into heat and not be able to run away from the dead trying to _eat her_. She didn’t know if she’d be able to find anywhere safe to go through it. Worse all those men had been looking for them. Probably because of that group they ran into, and stayed with for the night almost a week ago. That nosey little brat that had been looking through their stuff, and ruined everything!

Then, somewhere in the woods, there was shuffling, twigs breaking, dead leaves crunching. Cosette dragged herself back to her feet and looked around. She tried to find the walker, or walkers… she had a hunting knife. It was long enough, but she hated killing them. Especially when they weren’t worn away. Fresh ones were less common these days, but it was still hard sometimes… She rather run away…

She found some movement behind the tree, and she took off in the other direction, trying to be quiet. She’d found a road the other day, but she’d been too scared to walk along it. She thought maybe it’d lead her back to the motel, but she worried someone might be patrolling it looking for her or her sisters. Now she just wanted something to follow. She wanted a chance to find her sisters… It was really her only hope of finding the motel again… As long as she was going in the right direction she should run into something familiar…

She was stumbling by the time she made it to the road, and she stepped onto it just to have some even ground under her for a little bit. Cosette looked back trying to find the zombie, but she couldn’t see it, or hear it over her uneven breathing. Not wanting to see if her luck would stick Cosette started down the road, only to shake her head, and turn the other way to start in that direction instead. She’d always been hopeless with directions…

“I can do this…” Cosette breathed to herself as she walked along the shoulder of the road her hands rubbing at her arms trying to keep the chill off. The longer she walked with no problems the more relieved she felt. She’d been running around for a long time, she didn’t expect to find anything too soon. Only then the forest started to fall away more around her. It started to look like somewhere people inhabited… or well, somewhere people use to… the side of the road even went from dirt to sidewalk as she kept walking.

Cosette immediately knew it was wrong though. This didn’t look like anything she’d seen. With less trees she could see around too, and the motel definitely wasn’t going to be here… She’d gone the wrong way!

It felt like her chest was going to cave into itself. She just wanted to curl up and cry. Cosette knew she’d have to go back the other way and just hope that was the right way. She’d have to go back and hope that something looked familiar, because this really didn’t… Her stomach loudly made itself known though, and Cosette realized that she’d been staring at a gas station for a while now in her despair… Maybe there would be something… Anything to fill her belly.

She kept walking, out of habit she even scurried through the crosswalk like a car was bound to come any second. Unlikely, and if it did she probably wouldn’t want to meet the people inside it. She trailed away from empty cars in the parking lot, especially a large black truck… but she did stop to look at it for a long moment. She tried to place why it felt wrong. Something about the truck just didn’t belong. It hit her just as the clatter and chiming of bells sounded somewhere in front of her. The truck was clean while the vehicles around it were dusty and dirty. Her eyes flew up, and standing there larger than life was a man holding a barbwire wrapped bat. One breath told her it was the alpha who’d been chasing her. Her only saving grace seemed to be that he was just as stunned as she was.

The bat clattered to the ground, and while it seemed to shock him, it woke her up.

Cosette ran.

She ran as fast as she could, and tried to get away. She ran back towards the road, she still wasn’t stable enough to try and make it through the woods. She’d just have to hope she’d be fast enough again. Maybe when she had enough distance on him she’d be able to get into the woods, and hide from him or lose him. She could hear the thunder of his boots on the pavement behind her. She almost tripped over some rubble just as she got to the end of the parking lot, but she kept her footing. Only it slowed her down, and before she knew it arms banded around her like she was stuck in a turnstile.

It was just that fast, but it didn’t stop her from kicking, and elbowing him. Trying to throw her weight around. Anything to get free again.

“Fuckity-fuck-fuck-fuck! You are _fast_! Almost fell on your face there, though, gotta be more careful Little Omega!” the man behind her practically howled, holding her up off her feet as he pulled the sheath for her knife from her hip and shoved it onto his belt.

Cosette froze. It felt like she couldn’t move passed the racing of her heart. She didn’t say anything, even if she already knew that she’d given herself away. Not that it mattered because his lips found her ear and he curled around her, letting her feet touch the ground, as he whispered, “I’ve had a whole two days to think about it. You don’t smell right. You didn’t smell right running away from me either. That lack of a real scent, like you scrubbed your skin raw. That sort of mellow that could mean you’re a beta, but under it is something so sweet I just want to eat you up.” He nipped at her ear before he growled, “I hate that I can’t really smell you.”

“Yer wrong…” Cosette whined, trying to lie even if he sounded so sure.

“ _Don’t lie to me_ ,” He snapped, his hold on her tightening.

“Please just let me go…” Cosette whimpered as she tried to stay standing under her own power. It seemed like he was the only thing keeping her up. It was hard to concentrate. His warmth was seeping into her back, and his scent was thick like the incense she used to burn. It made her feel as though smoke was curling around her. He smelt of earth, and burning wood. Something sharp and inherently male clung to him, and it was like she’d drown in him. Cosette tried to push passed it though as he spoke.

“I can’t do that Baby Doll,” he huffed against the back of her neck as she tried to curl forward to get away from him. He nuzzled against her as he told her, “I’m going to take good care of you. Protect ya, and everything.”

“Stop… please stop…” Cosette whined as she tried to pull away again. If he started rubbing his scent on her she’d never clear her head. She wasn’t used to someone having a scent this strong anymore. “I don’t even know you!” She insisted even as the world turned fuzzy at the edges of her vision.

“Oh Baby Doll, I’m Negan!” he grinned as he pulled her back up against him, and nuzzled her more. Only, one second she was struggling, and the next she was limp and he was scrabbling to gather her into his arms. “Fuck! Baby Doll?! Kid?!” Jostling her a bit he tried to wake her, but it suddenly came to him that they all abandoned their bags. She didn’t have anything. He doubted she’d eaten. Worse he didn’t think she had anything to drink.

He rushed back to the gas station, and quickly fumbled his way back through the door to where a water bottle, some food, and a map sat on the counter. Swears left his mouth almost frantically as he knelt down with her against the counter as he tried to wake her. “Fuck. Kid? Wake up. I got food for you! Come on Little Girl!” his voice rumbled and darkened as he demanded, “ ** _Wake up!_** ”

She twitched and she whimpered up at him. He reached up on the counter, snagging the water bottle as he told her, “Come on, that was an order. Open your eyes.” It took a moment but she did open her eyes. He uncapped the water and held it to her lips crooning to her, “Slow. Little sips.” She listened well enough. When she drank about a quarter of it he took it from her and took a drink himself. “Damn! Just looking to give me a fucking heart attack, huh?”

Cosette whined at him but she didn’t push at him this time. She just pushed back against the counter he was using to prop her up in his lap.

“Now, let’s try that again,” he huffed pushing her hair back from her face, “I’m Negan.”

When he watched her expectantly she figured it out and managed to breath out, “Cosette…”

“Cosette… Damn you are just a little thing huh?” Negan grinned as he handed her the water. She looked at it for a long moment before tears collected in her eyes and his grin faded instantly. His chest had never seized up like that before at the sight of tears.

“I want my sisters…” Cosette cried. It wasn’t the only thing that was wrong but she didn’t want to put words to what was actually making her cry.

Negan took the water back, capped it, before pulling her up against him more. “They’ll come looking for you,” Negan said as he nuzzled her. “The map says _we have your sister_ , now it’s true. There’s a map back at the motel, and a few other places scattered in the area.”

Cosette weakly pushed at his chest, but when he let her look at him he wiped at her tears with his thumbs. She didn’t know what to say. She wanted her sisters, but she didn’t want them to have to risk themselves for her… She didn’t want them to get hurt.

He watched her for a minute before he reached up behind her, snagging one of the energy bars off the counter. He ripped it open and broke off a piece for her. “Eat some of this,” Negan said before he leaned back to watch her.

Nibbling at what tasted like a treat, chocolate, Cosette watched him right back. He was broad and he took a bite of the bar too. They sat in silence as they took each other in. Cosette didn’t know what to do… Did she try to run again? Did she go with him and hope for the best? How much trouble could she be before he used that bat on her?

When she finished her piece Negan took another bite of the bar before handing it over to her. His attention was drawn to the window, a walker had wandered up to the door. That’s when he remembered Lucille was outside. Shifting Cosette off his lap Negan stood insisting, “You are all fucking kinds of distracting Kid. Making me forget my girl outside.”

“Girl?” Cosette asked as she watched him pull out a large hunting knife, and walked over to the door.

“Lucille,” Negan grinned back at her before he jerked the door open catching the walker in side hard, causing the already unstable corpse to topple to the ground. Negan took the opportunity to drop the knife and grab Lucille to catch what use to be a man in the temple. The head collapsed right to the side. Still Negan brought Lucille down on it again, and then one more time just to watch the blood spray a little further.

Cosette held the rest of the bar in her mouth before she crawled up to her feet. She realized he named the barbwire wrapped bat after a lady. Taking a bite she looked at it thoughtfully before she carefully grabbed the water bottle too. If she ran, or bit the bullet and went with him, she was keeping this. She watched him through the glass doors as he grabbed up his knife and sheathed it. It was then she remembered he had her knife too… Now she didn’t have a weapon…

He opened the door and said, “This is Lucille.”

“Pretty?” Cosette asked more than said. She was too tired to censor herself.

“Fuck yeah! She’s beautiful!” Negan laughed waving her over. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Cosette looked down at the ground for a moment before she nodded and walked after him. She’d wait and see if her sisters came while she saw if she could get some suppressants and avoid her heat. If they did get there, they'd decide what to do together, if they didn’t show up soon Cosette would have to figure it out on her own.

oOo

“I don’t need a doctor!” Cosette insisted already feeling cagey in the cab of the truck with Negan. Even if he warmed it up for her, using the heater, it just made him smell even better. She didn’t want to deal with doctors too.

“You fucking fainted Kid, you sure as shit need to see a doctor!” Negan insisted right back at her, baring his teeth some.

“I hadn’t eaten! I hadn’t had any water!” Cosette tried to defend herself. She couldn’t handle doctors. As a small child she used to cry every time. As a teen she used to put if off until her father use to bundle her up and carry her out the door…

“You don’t smell right, those suppressants have got to be doing something to you,” Negan growled. “You are going to see Carson if I have to drag you kicking and screaming.”

She didn’t want to say that might be a possibility. She’d gotten better. She didn’t cry. She still had to be forced, but she’d held it together… Cosette wasn’t so sure she’d be able to hold it together this time.

Negan kept glancing at her, to see her. Her breathing was coming fast and hard again. “Hey… Carson is a good guy. Emmet won’t hurt you. No one is going to hurt you.”

“I’m not scared!” Cosette snapped at him.

“What did I fucking tell you about lying to me?!” Negan snarled back at her.

Cosette felt like she couldn’t stay still. It felt like when her dad used to get really angry with her. Like she had to listen to him. Like no matter how much she screamed and cried she’d still have to listen and do what he said. “Stop the car!” She yelled, trying not to cry again. She wouldn’t just be some weak omega.

Negan screeched to a stop, but when she tried to get away he jammed down the power lock before she could get the door open. “I will fucking hunt you through the woods again if I have to. I will not be so kind when I catch you this time!” Negan warned her.

“I can’t do this!” Cosette yelled turning around so her back was against the door. “I need you to let me go!”

Negan knew she was riling him, and he wasn’t reacting the way he normally would. He just couldn’t pin down why. He reached across the bench seat and snagged her ankle pulling her towards him. She tried to kick at him, but he wasn’t having it, and he got a hold of her neck as he crawled over her. “You’re going to calm down,” Negan told her firmly.

Cosette just struggled under him, her hands pulling at his wrist trying to get him to release her neck. She just wanted to get away. She didn’t want to be here. She couldn’t think, and it felt like she couldn’t breathe.

He let her pull his hand away, but then he pulled her up into his lap. He crooned and nuzzled against her, trying to calm her down without letting her go. After a few moments she clung to him weakly. She whimpered against him, and then she was crying quietly into his neck. Petting her hair, he rested his chin on the top of her head. When he felt like she wouldn’t freak on him, and keeping up the rumble of his croon he told her, “You’re going to see Carson, if he says your scent is okay, we’ll leave.”

Cosette whined and held onto him tighter. He was going to find out. She didn’t want him to. She didn’t want to know why he smelt so good, but deep down she did even if she wouldn’t even think the words. That almost purr centered in his chest had her melting against him, and she couldn’t find the words to argue with him. She was so exhausted.

“I won’t let anyone fuck with you, especially when you go into heat,” He swore as he shifted them around and started up the car again.

“Heat?” Cosette whined. “But my suppressants…” They had to have taken their stuff. No one just left shit behind these days.

“You’re not taking that shit ever again,” Negan growled, cutting off the crooning. “It’s not good for you.”

Cosette tensed in his lap, before carefully crawling back off him, though he snagged her with an arm around her shoulders. “I don’t want to go into heat…” She breathed.

“That’s too damn bad Baby Doll,” Negan hummed keeping her against him, “but if you don’t want to be knotted I’ll give you a house to lock yourself in, with plenty of food to hold you over. There’s a couple of Omega’s I’ll send one to check on you every day.”

“I hate my heat…” Cosette whined, pressing her face to his side.

Negan curled his arm around her more, asking, “Why?”

Cosette shook her head against him. She didn’t want to tell him. She wanted to tell someone though. She hadn’t been able to explain it to her family…

“Come on Kid,” Negan huffed as he looked down at her for a second. When she shook her head again Negan tangled his fingers into her hair and tugged a little. “Did you not like the loss of control?”

“That wasn’t it…” Cosette shook her head again, pressing closer. Her eyes closed. She really did like his smell. He smelt like the kind of warm where you knew everything just a little further away was freezing. He smelt like safety… and she was just so tired…

“Tell me Kid,” Negan said lowly, kissing the top of her head as he kept his eyes on the road. He hoped nothing had happened to her during her heat, but he kept his control.

“I wanted someone to be there so badly… I hated that feeling like that. Like I needed someone I couldn’t have… I hated that I wanted someone to take control…It made me feel even more helpless… and there was no one there to help.” Cosette let it all spill out. She needed someone to know. “There was no one there to make me…it’s all I had really wanted…”

Negan couldn’t help the toothy grin that slipped across his face, she hadn't been hurt, just alone, but then she seemed to go slack against him again. He kept her against him muttering curses as he put his foot down on the gas. He needed to get her back to The Haven…


	2. He's Not Getting It

Cosette kept drifting in and out as they drove. When she would whimper at him, he’d pet her hair, or croon for her and she’d fall back to sleep. This time when she opened her eyes she found that they were driving towards something. Something large, and long… a wall of some kind. She sat up more and Negan gripped the back of her neck for a second before he moved the hand to the steering wheel with the other. The sun was almost gone, the sky was barely lit, but she could still see them. The walkers. There were walkers tied to the fence, and stuck to large stakes… no, on them… They were impaled.

Negan looked down at the small blonde pressing against his side, before looking back at the wall. Then he looked back at her, seeing that her light brown eyes kept flicking from biter to biter. He hooked his arm back around her, and this time it rested atop her shoulder. He crooked his arm more making her look at him and not at what was outside of the car. “You don’t have to look,” Negan told her as they got closer.

She kept her eyes on his neck, relieved that he stopped her from looking… When they got to the wall, a gate was opened, and he drove them in. After that he moved his arm, and she had the very strong feeling that she was looking at something fake. Only the longer she looked, the more she realized the picturesque street before her was real. This was a real housing development. It was clean, and a few people were mulling about in the dimming of the day. Some had the hurry of a person with something to do, others were just hanging out… This wasn’t what she was expecting… She really wasn’t expecting all the lights shining from houses. They had electricity…

“Not what you imagined?” Negan laughed as he caught her gaping. Her mouth snapped shut when she looked at him and shook her head. “Well a few months into it, we found this factory. It was sweet as fuck. Nothing says _don’t fuck with us_ like a giant factory with walkers impaled out front. I loved that damn place, named it The Sanctuary. It’s still an outpost. There is just one damn problem with it. The ventilation sucked ass.” Negan glanced at her as he drove down the street to see her eyes bouncing between him and the scenery. “First an omega showed up on her own. Then an omega and her mate. Neither had suppressants, the girl that came by herself said she ran out. The mated one’s alpha wouldn’t let her take them. They weren’t the only ones either, a male omega was already in the factory hiding the suppressants so he could keep taking them, but he had run out about then… That month they all went into heat within days of each other.”

Cosette’s eyes clung to Negan at that, and no matter how obvious it felt, she still had to say, “That couldn’t have been good.”

“No! it was fucking not. You know what happened?” Negan asked as he pulled into the driveway of a larger house. When she shook her head he huffed, “Sixteen alphas went into rut, all wanting a piece of hot omega tail. I swear people were fucking in the hallways. Once it all settled down every available scout was out looking for a better option. Yours truly found all this. This is The Haven.”

Really, she didn’t have to ask, she knew from the red cross on the garage door, that this was the doctors place. She needed to stall. “What happened to the people who were already here?”

“A lot of them are still around,” Negan shrugged, only to notice her looking at him doubtfully. “Don’t you give me that look Kid. Lucille is not a shoulder decoration, it was a hostile takeover. That’s no secret. Between the fighting, me showing them who’s boss, and some hightailing it out of here, they still didn’t lose that many.”

Cosette’s shoulders hunched as she looked ahead of them at the red cross. She didn’t want to do this… What he said was awful, but it was done. The people who lived and stayed still had homes… She really didn’t want to go in there… Worse Negan opened his door then, and he hopped out like this wasn’t a big deal…

She didn’t feel that way.

“Come on Baby Doll,” Negan said, only to see her rolling down the sleeves of the flannel she had on. Her hands hid in the sleeves making her look even smaller than she was. When she wouldn’t move, or look at him he stepped back up to lean into the cab, growling lightly, “Do not make me help you.”

Whimpering Cosette shook her head. She didn’t want to do this. When she heard him growling she glanced at him before reaching her hand out for him. She felt like she couldn’t do this, but she didn’t want to make him angry with her. She didn’t want him to drag her kicking and screaming. It wouldn’t make her feel better. It’d make her feel worse… and stupid… and small…

Negan looked down at her hand in minor amazement, before he took it. He didn’t pull on her though. He waited for her to make a move. There was, after all, a difference between making him help, and asking for it. While he waited, he couldn’t help but feel how much smaller than him she was. She looked barely out of her teens, and he couldn’t seem to shake the almost need to rub his scent all over her. Keep all these fuckers away from her…

It took a long while, but she moved into the drivers’ seat, closer to him. When he jumped down still holding her hand, she turned towards him, but she watched the house warily. Frowning he explained, “We’re going to walk in the door, Carson is going to take a deep breath, and answer my questions. He’s not going to touch you today. We won’t leave the entryway.”

Cosette nodded and let him help her out of the truck, resisting with every fiber of her being to latch onto him. He kept her hand, though, as he walked them up to the door, and walked right in. She tightened her hold on his hand as they stopped and a man shuddered to a sudden halt in the hallway before them. He was wearing a white lab coat. He must have been the doctor…

“Carson, I fucking need you to take a look at Cosette here,” Negan insisted keeping a hold of Cosette’s hand even as she tried to disappear behind him.

Emmet frowned as he moved forward asking, “Does your new beta friend not like doctors?”

Negan’s frown deepened as he pulled her around him, moving his hand to her shoulder to keep her in place. “No she fucking doesn’t, but I thought betas had the best sense of smell?! You can’t fucking tell she’s an omega?”

Emmet ventured closer, not too quickly so he didn’t spook the girl, but not so slow that Negan would think about using Lucille on him. Once he was in front of the young woman he breathed deeply a few times. He could smell something, something faint, but it could have just as easily been some sweet-smelling lotion or any number of things. Even so he asked the girl, “How long have you been taking suppressants, Cosette?” It wouldn’t do to make the boss mad. There were reasons for Negan to be so sure the doctor feared. At least for the sake of the girl.

“Since _this_ started…” Cosette managed as she pressed back into Negan’s hand. She just wanted to leave. She was taking shallow breaths through her mouth, trying to concentrate on not freaking out. The last thing she wanted was to try and hide against the man behind her. The last few doctor’s visits she’d been to she’d managed with her father in the corner of the room, but before that she’d had to sit in his lap while she was being looked over… She couldn’t sit in Negan’s lap… She couldn’t treat him like her alpha… even if he was determined to act like it.

“Tell her how fucking unhealthy that shit is!” Negan snarled, knowing she’d keep taking them given half the chance. He pressed up against her back to glare down at her. He did not appreciate how completely negligent she was being with her body, nor how she started to breathe through her mouth to ignore his scent. At least his scent was right, hers was muddled and it was driving him to distraction.

“Negan is right… and judging by how completely your omegan scent is hidden, you don’t just take them as suggested do you?” Emmet frowned as he spoke. He wanted to offer to let her sit somewhere but he doubted she’d go any further without Negan’s assistance. It wasn’t his wish to make Negan force the girl.

Cosette crossed her arms over her chest, hunching her shoulders, “I’m not some housewife with a mate out of town, and I’m certainly not on vacation and in need of a safe house.” Those were the suggested reasons for taking suppressants. Using them to hide your dynamic was discouraged. “There was no safe place to find.” She didn’t want to gain Negan’s ire by saying it, but she doubted there was a safe place _anywhere_.

“I understand,” Carson told her gently, only to backtrack when Negan snarled at him. “You’ll be safe here though. When your heat starts to set in, you’ll be given supplies and there’s always an empty house kept for these kinds of things. Another omega or someone you trust will be sent to check on you every night. That is if you don’t find a mate before then…”

Cosette narrowed her eyes at the doctor, but it was short lived as Negan asked, irritated, “How long until she gets her damn scent back. I’ve never met her before, but she still smells like a fucking imposter to me.”

Emmet wondered if Negan was being purposely dense, but perhaps something like this just never occurred to him. “Well, three to four days after she stops, or stopped, taking them.” There was a chance that it just hadn’t occurred to him that there was a reason he was bothered by how her scent was masked from him.

“So, my scent will be back tomorrow or the day after,” Cosette clarified, hoping to get out of here. Negan hadn’t mentioned her fainting. She knew he hadn’t forgotten, but she hoped that he’d just let it go.

Perhaps, that was best for the young lady. Give her a few moments of breathing room. “Then within a couple of weeks she’ll start exhibiting preheat symptoms, and I suspect in no more than a month go into heat,” Emmet explained, just in case Cosette wasn’t sure how much time she had. Only she just looked put out, Negan seemed to be the one absorbing his information. “When you start making points, our currency, I can prescribe birth control, but it’ll probably be at least a year before there’s even a chance you’ll be able to get pregnant.”

“Why can’t I buy suppressants then?” Cosette asked even if Negan growled at her as his arms wrapped around her, instead of just standing behind her.

“Suppressants are only dispensed if mates are going to be away around the time of their omega’s heat, or should an omega be near their heat when they’re scheduled to go on a run,” Emmet explained as Negan seemed to just want to growl at the girl. “This is a safe place for every dynamic, no one needs to hide what they are.”

Cosette wanted to argue, but she didn’t want to see what Negan would do. She didn’t want to cause a scene and have to stay here longer.

Frowning Emmet offered, “As long as you have no medical complaints. Abdominal pain, dizzy spells, or bloody noses that just won’t stop… You should be free to go.”

“She fucking fainted,” Negan insisted, not willing to let her leave without hearing the doctor’s opinion about it.

“That was unrelated, I hadn’t eaten, or had any water, I’ve been running on hours of sleep for the last two days and his… and he was harassing me,” Cosette explained tersely. She wouldn’t say how overwhelming his scent was. “I don’t have any of the side effects listed on the box.”

Emmet frowned, “Well, as long as you're fed, and you get plenty of water and sleep… you should still be okay… Someone should keep an eye on you though. There are beds empty here.” He wondered if she’d take the offer despite her fear. She shook her head almost frantically, though.

“She’s staying with me,” Negan said as she pressed back against him hard. He calmed as he noticed her take a deep breath through her nose. “I’ll see that she gets whatever the fuck she needs.” He wasn’t going to just leave her here by herself.

“Make sure she eats in moderation. It might be tempting to let her eat everything in sight until she full, but no one wants it all to come back up,” Emmet told them as he watched Cosette struggle to be behind Negan.

Nodding Negan let her slide around him to be closer to the door. “I’ll bring her back if something happens,” Negan said before he turned around, capturing her hand again to get her back outside.

oOo

Cosette frowned as she followed Negan into a large two-story house. It was amazing. Even the lawn was well kept. Once they stepped inside, Negan flipping on a light and shutting the door, Cosette was floored. A few steps let her see into the living room. There was all red and black furniture. Some landscapes adorned the walls. Her eyes flew after Negan who was walking away from her. She scurried after him to find a kitchen. All the appliances were stainless steel. There was a large table with a wooden top and metal legs. Matching chairs with cushy seats, the material the same color as the wood. There were barstools around the island he was standing behind. Lucille had found her way onto one of the stools, leaned up against the metal backs of the chairs.

Negan couldn’t help but puff out his chest as he saw her amazement. He grinned widely, asking, “How do you feel about spaghetti? I make some really fucking good tomato sauce.”

Cosette ventured closer nodding eagerly. “Yes, please,” she said as her hands clasped onto the back of the stool next to the one the bat was in.

“Well, aren’t you just sweet as pie when I’ve got food,” Negan teased even as he moved around the kitchen getting the things he needed.

“I was taught to be polite,” Cosette reasoned, with a huff.

Negan chuckled as he started to pull out the actual food. “I bet you were.” Then he filled one of the pots with water, and Cosette could have fallen right over. When Negan looked back at her, and found her eyes locked on the sink he couldn’t help but smirk. He turned off the water and set the pot on the stove as he asked, “You wanna take a shower?”

Cosette fought to say something, but at first she just nodded her head quickly. “Please,” came tumbling from her lips after.

“Mmh, yeah, let’s get you upstairs first,” Negan nodded as he paused in his prep.

oOo

Cosette had been clean for a few minutes now. She just wanted to let the water run over her. Just a little longer. The water was warm. She loved water, before the end she took the longest showers. Her mother use to accuse her of being a fish. Cosette was practically whimpering it felt so good. Everything still smelt like the man downstairs, but that was okay… at least it was until her fingers brushed the outside of her thigh and she had to stop herself from seeking that spot between her thighs…

That’s when she turned the water off, and peeked her head from behind the curtain to make sure Negan wasn’t around. When she found he wasn’t there she opened the shower curtain and grabbed a towel from the rack. She rubbed her face dry first only to breathe deeply… It was clean. The towel was soft, and _clean_. She dried the rest of her body as she carefully stepped out of the tub. The last thing she wanted was to fall and Negan have to rescue her while she was naked.

She frowned as she stopped in front of the mirror. She’d lost some of what her mother called baby fat even when she was too old for it to be so. Her sisters were worried she was getting too thin, but she still had meat to her… Cosette covered herself with the towel only to realize there were clothes folded on the counter… Negan must have put them in here when he took her dirty clothes…

It was why she thought he might be in the room… She’d heard the door… she had just been too scared to see if he’d stayed before then…

Unfolding the first item she found a white shirt. One of his. It had his scent all over it. Under it was something puzzling though… black underwear… discarding the shirt for a moment Cosette picked up what turned out to be black boyshorts with mesh on the sides… She wanted to kid herself, but she knew that these were hers.

That meant he had her clothes.

He or someone else had washed her clothes.

Only, he was picking this for her…

He was picking her clothes!

Cosette actually thought about walking out there naked, just to be defiant. Mina, her oldest sister had done as much when their dad took all the clothes from her closet that he deemed inappropriate. Only she immediately shook her head and pulled on her underwear. It hadn’t ended very well for Mina. She’d find a way to be defiant without being naked after all Negan wasn't her dad, there were other implications to going that route… She’d find her clothes at the very least and wear what she wanted…

She did look at the shirt with reservation though. This was his house and it did smell like him if she concentrated, but it wasn’t like being in the car with him. If she put on his shirt she’d be right back to square one…

“Hey Little One! Dinner’s done, come get it while it’s hot!” Negan called through the door in a sing song voice. Lightly tapping on the door with the brush from her bag.

“Here… ah here I come!” Cosette insisted as she snatched up the shirt and slipped it on. She didn’t want him to see her naked. Or mostly naked… Quickly she opened the door, only to find herself chest to chest with him.

Negan grinned as he handed her the brush he had in his hand “Here, I forgot to put this with your clothes.”

“Why couldn’t I pick my clothes?” Cosette asked as she worked through the knots in her hair.

“Because I did,” Negan insisted as he watched her brush her hair. He knew well and good he was being difficult. He hadn’t really thought about it though, he’d just grabbed what he wanted her in. There was so much about her that was just nagging at him.

Cosette bit her lip. It was obvious he hadn’t caught on. She finished brushing her hair as fast as she could. When she was done Negan took it back, and put it on the counter in the bathroom. She followed him without complaint though she wasn’t thinking anything nice about him…

At least she thought nasty things at him until they sat next to each other at the island, and she started eating. “Thank you!” Cosette beamed as she just managed to swallow what was in her mouth. It was hot and delicious. It wasn’t just mush, or watered-down soup. It was _real food_.

“Oh fuck, Baby Doll, you don’t gotta thank me!” Negan said as he watched her eat for a moment. He was pretty sure she was still mumbling thank you. “Don’t eat too fast, you don’t wanna see that all in reverse.”

Cosette nodded, and forced herself to slow down. It wasn’t too hard. The tomato sauce was even kind of sweet. There were spices, and even little bits of tomato. The pasta wasn’t mush like Alice made it and it wasn’t still hard like Mina made it… She didn’t even mind when his fingers found her hair for a moment, tucking some behind her ear. Now that she didn’t feel like this was a life or death situation she couldn’t help how calm she felt… Cosette noticed he’d eat, but then he’d stop and watch her. He was still done before she was, and when she started to feel full Cosette stopped, even if she didn’t want to… “I’m full,” she breathed staring at the couple of bites left. It was wasteful… she should just eat the rest… Only before she could change her mind Negan snatched the plate from her, clicking his tongue at her.

“You said you were full,” Negan insisted, eating from her plate too.

She watched him finish off her food before Cosette asked, “Do you always share your food like this?”

Negan shrugged, mumbling around their food, “Not usually.”

Cosette wanted to whap him for being dense, but at the same time she didn’t want him to figure it out any faster than he already would… Besides there was a chance she was wrong. There was a chance that she was wrong, and just overwhelmed because she hadn’t been this close to an alpha since this all started. Her sister’s always thought she’d be the one to screw up. She hadn’t even been given the chance this time…

Negan frowned as he picked up the plates and got up to take them to the sink. “Why?” he asked as he gave the sink his confused look. It felt like he was forgetting something, but there was nothing to forget. The girl just got in the door.

“I mean you even used my fork,” Cosette shrugged, wondering how much was too much to share.

“Honey, I am not afraid of your mouth,” Negan grinned at her from over his shoulder as he rinsed off the plates and set them in the bottom of the sink to deal with later, “In fact I’d like to explore it more personally. Only I was told you needed rest or some shit.” Negan then walked back around and held out at a hand. “That’s why I put you in this comfy outfit.”

“About that,” Cosette huffed crossing her arms over her chest, and even tucking an ankle behind the other, “I’m twenty-one, I can pick out my own clothes.”

“Such a big fucking girl!” Negan teased as he put his hands in the air in mock surrender. Only then he leaned in close, his hands on the armrests of the bar chair she was in, “You’re still little to me though, and notice how you got all dressed up for me. You could have found a way to defy me.”

Cosette wanted to yell at him, snap her teeth at him. She did growl, but she was still pressing back in her seat as though to get away from him.

Negan growled back at her teeth bared, “What happen to those manners?! I warn you Kid, you will feel very fucking little if I have to show you your place!”

“You’re not my alpha!” Cosette snarled at him, trying to push him away. Wanting to be left alone. “You don’t get to treat me like this!” She was trying to be hurtful. This all felt like falling. You’re trying as hard as you can not to hit the ground, but you know it’s coming. She knew it wouldn’t be a gentle landing, and this was terrifying.

It felt like he was seeing red. He pulled her from the chair and it actually clattered to the ground as she struggled to get away from him. He was going to show her who was alpha. She whimpered and keened as she shoved and pushed at him. He grabbed for her wrist when she punched him in the chest, but that’s when she managed to slip away.

Cosette ran. She meant to run for the door, but she felt his fingers brush her back and she jerked around and up the stairs. She almost fell, and scurried up them on hands and feet, and just managed to get up them before him. The only room she knew was his, and it was straight down the hallway. His feet were pounding off the carpet, his boots discarded at some point when she was showering. He was snarling. She was scared.

Negan roared as she slammed his door shut on him. She locked it, but it wasn’t a difficult lock, it was a simple privacy lock. He reached up to the top of the doorway and pulled down an Allen wrench, and made quick work of the door. Only once inside he couldn’t find her. The bathroom door was open… that left the closet or under the bed…

“Kid you have five fucking seconds to get out here and apologize. Then we can go to sleep and forget about your fucking bad manners!” Negan called out loud enough to be heard if she was behind the closed door. He held tightly to the Allen wrench in case he had to use it. When nothing happened immediately he started to count.

**“Five.”**

Cosette held her breath trying not to whimper. She was in the closet. It had another privacy lock on it. Probably for omega’s who nested in closets…

**“Four.”**

What would he do if she didn’t come out?

**“Three.”**

Now she did keen, slipping down onto her knees.

**“Two.”**

Cosette unlocked the door and pushed it open just as he snarled.

**“One!”**

She wondered if she was too late, but he didn’t pounce on her. He looked down at her expectantly. She knew what he wanted… Her hands fisted in his shirt, as she wrapped her arms around herself. When he took a step towards her Cosette fell back onto her butt and shoved herself back from him. She cried out, “I’m sorry!”

Only he wasn’t appeased by that.

Negan stepped into the walk-in, eyeing her as she huddled back against the wall away from him. He’d give her another chance to do better. He waited silently.

Cosette whimpered and keened, covering her head. “I’m sorry Negan!” She cried, hiding her tears against her knees. “I’m sorry. I was scared. I’m scared!”

_Shit_. It was like she shoved her hand into his chest just to yank at his heart. He moved closer and crouched down mumbling, “Alright Kid… yer alright now… We’re going to go at it, I forgive you.” Only she shook her head at him. His frown deepened, and he crawled onto his hands and knees to get closer to her. “I’m going to take care of you.” Negan told her, moving up onto his knees to comb his fingers into her drying hair.

Cosette just cried harder and latched onto him. This is what she was afraid of…

Negan pulled her up into his arms, and her legs wrapped around him too. Burying his nose in her hair he huffed, “You ever pull that kind of shit with me again, though, and I’ll show you who’s alpha.” When she buried her face against his neck Negan growled, “You understand me?”

“Yes Negan…” Cosette whined against him. She’d never get away if he acted like this. If he took care of her, no matter his foul language, or if he was rough… she wouldn’t be able to run away with her sisters…

“Let’s get in bed,” Negan breathed, holding onto her tighter.

He was going to figure it out…

Then it wouldn’t matter…

He wouldn’t let her leave anyway.


	3. No! No! No!

Cosette whined as she woke up. She tried to roll over but she couldn’t. There was a heavy weight on top of her, stopping her from moving. She squirmed trying to figure it out without really having to wake up, but after she was really awake she knew immediately who it was. Negan… She could hear him taking deep breaths. His face was buried in her hair.

_No._

It couldn’t have worn off already!

Negan had made her sleep in his bed, but he’d started out a respectable distance from her after stripping down to just his boxers. Embarrassing. Now he was on top of her. When his hips started to move against hers Cosette whimpered and tried to get away. She squirmed and shoved at him, but he locked his leg around hers, stopping her from putting any distance between them. A growl bubbled up and finding his face Cosette could see that he was asleep. At least there was that.

“Damn it…” Cosette quietly wailed, not wanting him to wake and realize why he was humping her leg in his sleep. Taking a deep breath to try to stave off the panic and frustration she was feeling she pushed her arms against his chest as much as she could. She went slow, and leaned forward so she could get his arms off over her head. When that worked she wiggled and shoved a bit more, because she knew exactly what was rubbing up against her, and managed to crawl away.

“The fuck…?” came the sleepy voice behind her, but Cosette didn’t wait. She bolted away, straight back into the closet, locking it behind her.

Still on the bed Negan sat up looking to where Cosette had just locked herself back in the closet. He adjusted himself realizing why she was probably in said closet. “Shit… Kid! It’s just some morning wood!” Negan called after her as he took some deep breaths. Trying to find that enticing smell lingering around him. “I wouldn’t hurt you like that!”

Cosette crawled to the back of the closet this time. She wasn’t coming out. Not after that.

Negan moved off the bed and over to the closet, greedily sucking in as much of that scent as he could. “Fuck, Little Thing? Can you come out here?” Negan asked even as he pressed against the door.

Cosette shook her head even though he couldn’t see her. She didn’t know what to do. She just knew she couldn’t go out there.

The more he woke up the more it clicked into place. Cosette was that smell. “Kid. You smell like rain, and apples, and so fucking sweet you’re giving me diabetes over here,” Negan growled lowly as he tried to turn the handle to get in the closet, but it was locked. “Cosette open the door.” She was his. How could he miss it? How could he have not known?

“N-no, I’m not coming out!” Cosette snapped moving into the back corner. He wasn’t really saying it, but he knew. He figured it out.

“Cosette…” Negan huffed banging his fist against the door just once. Every part of him just wanted to break down the door. It didn’t help that he was hard as a rock, but all he wanted was to stick his face back in her hair. “I’m not going to hurt you. Come out before you send me into fucking rut.”

“No! You were humping me!” Cosette snarled at him.

“Damn it…” Negan breathed as he rubbed his palm against his dick through his boxers. “Alright… I’ll rub one out and take care of this… Then, I’m going to go make you some fucking breakfast. Calm down, and get your ass down to the kitchen. Do not make me come in there and get you.”

Cosette keened at him, turning more into the corner she was in. When he didn’t keep talking she assumed he walked away, but she still didn’t move. She couldn’t. What if he was just waiting for her? She couldn’t go out there anyway! He knew. He knew.

Outside the door, Negan moved into the bathroom and over to the counter. Growling he shoved out of his boxers. Negan gripped his cock, hanging his head as he pictured the little blonde in the closet touching him instead. He wanted her even if it was just her hands. “Fuck, Honey…” Negan huffed as he backed up into the wall behind him. Why couldn’t she have just come out?

He jerked his head back with another growl, and decided that maybe it as best she didn’t come out.

oOo

Cosette jolted when there was a knock on the closet. It’d been a while since he’d walked away, but now he was telling her, “You have ten minutes to get your ass downstairs.” She didn’t say anything, but she was pretty sure he didn’t wait around to hear anything anyway. She crawled to the front of the closet with a frown. Did she leave the closet? Did she go downstairs and get breakfast?

She couldn’t pretend that he wouldn’t come and get her. She couldn’t pretend that she’d manage to get away if she ran. Looking around again she knew her clothes weren’t in here and neither was her bag. She was paranoid that he’d know the second she opened the closet door…

Carefully, and slowly, Cosette got up and unlocked the door. She waited a moment before she opened the door, and walked out. Only to freeze when she found Negan standing there waiting for her. He was still in his boxers and she realized that she’d basically been holding his clothes hostage. It didn’t matter, even half naked he still looked like nothing could touch him.

“Just weren’t going to mention I smelt like the world to you? Because you sure as fuck smell better than air to me,” Negan growled lowly at her. He didn’t move towards her, but he wanted to. He wanted to pounce on her, and snatch her up. He wouldn’t though, if only because he wanted an answer.

Cosette’s hands fisted in the bottom of the T-shirt she was wearing. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know how to answer him. She knew he’d figure it out, but she’d been biding her time.

“Omega’s already smell delicious but they only smell that fucking good when you smell that fucking good back,” Negan growled as he stepped closer to her.

“I… just… It’s just!” Cosette started, but she couldn’t get anything out. What was she supposed to say to something like this? When he started for her she grabbed the doorknob to the closet and tried to spit it all out, “What if I was wrong? What if you didn’t really want me? What if I made a mistake and I was just an easy lay? What about my sisters?! What if they want to leave?!”

“You are not fucking wrong!” Negan snarled before he shot forward, grabbing her before she could get back in the closet. His face was in her hair instantly. “I’m not letting you go. They can stay, or they can leave, but you’re fucking staying with me.” Cosette tried to push at him, but then he lifted her up into his arms, his face finding her neck before he nuzzled and licked there. She gasped, and shuddered as she held onto him tightly. He walked them over to the bed before he set her down, breathing hard. Negan grabbed her chin making her look at him. “You can nest in the closet, but you keep that door fucking unlocked.”

“I’m not nesting,” Cosette tried to insist. She tried to be strong, but she couldn’t help the way she hung onto his arm. She couldn’t let go either.

“Thought all Omega’s nested to some degree,” Negan huffed as he started to scent her. Brushing her cheek, her arms, and her thighs with his free wrist. “Unless you just want to start piling more pillows and blankets onto the bed.”

“I don’t want to go into heat,” Cosette told him stubbornly, forcing herself to let go of him, and push at him to get him to stop marking her.

“You’re not getting a fucking choice. You can tell me you don’t want me to fuck you, knot you, claim you, and I’ll let you lock yourself in a spare house to keep us apart, but I will not let you take suppressants.” Negan told her as he grabbed her wrists. He got in her face then insisting, “If you start to smell like that awful shit again I will punish you until you’re a crying mess, begging my forgiveness. Do you fucking understand me Cosette?”

She glared, but she still said, “I fucking understand you Negan.”

“You better,” Negan growled before he let go of her and ventured into the closet to get dressed. Once he came out he started downstairs passed her saying, “Now you have ten minutes to get your ass downstairs for breakfast.”

oOo

“I want my clothes back.” Cosette insisted as she sat across the table from Negan this time.

“No,” Negan told her as he set down his fork to watch her reaction. He knew she’d have something to say, and he didn’t want to miss it.

“Why not?! It’s cold! I want some damn pants!” Cosette yelled, slamming down her fork. “They’re my clothes!” She was not going to roll over just because he started to lay down some rules. Those things were hers and she’d be damned if she was going to be treated this way.

“Because you’re being a fucking brat,” Negan growled back at her. “If you’re going to act like a bratty little thing, I’ll treat you like one.”

Cosette glared as she stood up, deliberately slow, “I want my clothes, and if you think I’m acting like a brat now, you haven’t seen anything. Tell me no again.”

Negan was keyed up. He wanted to see, but he didn’t want to escalate it. Who was he kidding? Of course, he wanted to see something. “No, I’m not giving them to you. I’ll pick you out something after breakfast.”

With no hesitation Cosette lifted her plate and shattered it against the floor. “Breakfast is fucking over.” Cosette snapped at him. She didn’t care that there were pieces of plate and eggs around her bare feet. She wasn’t going to let him push her around because he smelled good, or because their biology would pretty much demand they mate. She wasn’t going to give into this scruffy alpha just because he had a barbwire bat and a nice house in the middle of the apocalypse.

Negan stood up abruptly, “You’re going to clean that up.”

“No.” Cosette sneered at him.

“Fucking rude,” Negan snarled as he started for her. He expected her to run, but she stood her ground tilting her chin up at him. “I like to play just as much as the next alpha, but that’s disrespectful. You can fucking clean that up, and apologize, or you can be defiant and you will be bare ass naked until you remember how to use your goddamn manners and realize who your fucking alpha is.”

“Well you better find him Negan, because it sure as shit ain’t you,” Cosette growled up at him. When his eyes darkened on her though, her heart sped, and flight won out on fight. She ran. This time she didn’t make it to the stairs.

Negan grabbed the back of the shirt before jerking her back against him. He snarled and growled against her ear, “I fucking get it that part of preheat is testing your alpha to make sure their dick is big enough, but if you tell me I’m not your alpha ever again I will chain you to me until you fucking get it.” He forced them down onto their knees even as she struggled, and heatedly explained, “I’m going to undress you, you are going to go upstairs and find a book, or the notebooks that are still in your bag in the room next to ours, you can write, you can nest in our closet, or in one of the other rooms. I will clean up, cool off, and then I’ll come get you. If I come upstairs and you are dressed I will cut the clothes off of you.”

Cosette still struggled, trying to curl forward when he tried to take the shirt from her, but it didn’t seem to matter. He shoved her forward instead and started yanking down her underwear. She tried to kick at him, but that only seemed to help him. She cried out when he pulled them from her, his hand cracking against the side of her ass. He snarled as she quickly turned over. Now she was facing him, and she could see him glaring at her. She didn’t put up as much of a fight when he snagged the shirt in his hands this time pulling that from her too.

“Get your ass upstairs!” Negan roared at her when she tried to cover herself. She didn’t waste any time. She scrambled to her feet and bolted up the steps.

Cosette instantly ran into Negan’s room, but once she was in there, she didn’t know what to do. Her eyes fell to the floor where the white shirt Negan had been wearing yesterday was, and snatched it up off the floor. She held it to her desperately wanting to put it on, but instead she stuck her head back out to look into the hall. Nothing. She walked over to the closest door, and opened it to find another room. It had a full bed in it, but not much else. Her bag was on the bed and she hurried over to it, to find three spiral bound notebooks, a pack of pens. The pockets held some lipstick and a compact that she’d stubbornly kept in there from before. There was a paperback copy of Silence of the Lambs. Of course, all her clothes were gone. Grabbing the book she moved over to the closet, but her clothes weren’t in there either… Maybe it was best she didn’t find them… She wasn’t sure she wanted to find out if she’d put them on or not.

She looked back at the bed, before she looked back in the closet. The bed was too open… She looked down at where she was still holding his shirt to her chest. He’d be a smug asshole if he caught her with it… or would he be angry she was using it to cover up? She’d made such a fuss about not nesting… Frowning she threw his shirt into the corner of the empty closet before setting her book gently in the corner near the door. Then she turned to the bed and set about dismantling it. Pillows were thrown into the closet first, not gently either even if she felt weird being naked. It was nice to have something to take her frustration out on that wouldn’t growl back at her. She pulled off the quilt and the flat sheet, and got at the fitted sheet, and reluctantly got started.

 

Downstairs Negan had cleaned up the kitchen, growling through most of it. Then he went out back and cleaned up Lucille a bit from yesterday’s zombie. By then his every breath wasn’t a huff. After, he got Simon on the radio, and onto a private channel, to tell him to come get him if he was needed, but otherwise he wouldn’t be making his rounds today. After that he made his way upstairs to find his omega.

He checked his room, but she wasn’t in there, closet or otherwise. He went into the next room and grinned when he found the bed had been reduced to the mattress. Didn’t want to nest his ass. He wandered over to the closet opening it carefully in case she started throwing shit at him. Only there wasn’t any noise. When he looked he found her curled up in the pile of bedding fast asleep a book in front of her. He’d seen a nest before. His mother had made these huge ones, fluff and clothing everywhere. Cosette’s was pretty sparse, though she looked comfortable enough. Crouching down he looked her over, and rubbed at the scruff on his jaw. He could get her more stuff so she’d be more comfortable. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about her holding his clothing hostage when she was huffy at him.

Moving around so he was sitting he reached out and pet her hair. She was so little. Her parents knew what they were doing when they named her Cosette. His hand hovered over her when she made this little noise. She tossed onto her other side, but only cried out more. He crooned a little at her, but that’s when her eyes opened blearily. She looked up at him before she curled back into a ball with a whine.

“You done with your little tantrum?” Negan asked, even if he kept his voice soft.

“No…” Cosette insisted weakly. She didn’t want to give in.

“That’s fine, but no more breaking shit, you hear me?” Negan said as he moved around so he was sitting against the wall next to her.

“That was too far,” Cosette agreed even as she turned away from him. She’d wasted that food too. She felt guilty.

“Yes, it fucking was,” Negan nodded as he propped his arms up on his bent knees, and tilted his head back with his eyes closed. “You need more stuff for that nest you didn’t want to make?” Negan pestered her after a while to see if she was still awake.

“Yes, please…” Cosette mumbled as she curled around the pillow she didn’t shove under the blankets. She got the feeling she was going to need this nest. She was going to need a place to retreat to.

“There’s those stellar manners!” Negan crowed before he pushed back up to his feet. “Be right back.”

Cosette lifted her head, watching him go before she pushed around on the soft base of the nest to burrow further against the blankets. She watched the door to see him come back, and when he did he was carrying a bundle of blankets and sheets. He walked back into the closet with her, dropping them on the floor before he took his spot back up against the wall. Frowning she decided to try, “Can I please get dressed?”

Negan barked out a laugh, and shook his head, “That was better, but no, you still can’t have your clothes.”

“Please! You can pick them! I just don’t want to be naked, please,” Cosette keened from her spot pressed against her nest so he hopefully couldn’t see much of her.

“Oh, and I will, when you earn it.” Negan told her as he watched her.

Cosette glared before she moved back around so her back was to him. “Forget it then. Go away.”

“I’m not going anywhere Kid,” Negan huffed as he scooted closer to the nest, looking her over carefully. She still had some softness to her. He knew when she stood her thighs touched, her belly wasn’t exactly flat, her breasts were a beautiful handful, but she was still so little, and he just wanted to nuzzle all of her. The nest was just big enough that they’d be able to curl around each other if she’d let him in. Perhaps he’d fit better if she made it bigger with what he gave her.

Cosette just refused to talk to him. If he wasn’t going to let her get dressed, then she wasn’t even going to look at him. She was told she had to rest anyway. Besides, the more worked up she got the faster she’d go into heat…

oOo

Cosette frowned as she looked at herself in the mirror. She’d finally given in and decided she had to go to the bathroom, so she had to get up and walk passed him. Now that she was done, washing hands included, she was leery of going back out there. She couldn’t figure out what he wanted in return for her clothes. She’d been nicer. She’d said please… she’d pleaded with him, she wouldn’t go as far as to say she begged, but she wasn’t going any further than she already had. Yeah, she’d tried to ignore him after, but she wasn’t exactly breaking more plates.

All he’d done was sit in the closet with her… She was reluctant to admit, even to herself, that she’d calmed down a lot from this morning. At one point his hand had found its way to her back and the feeling of his hand running up and down her spine… hadn’t been unpleasant…

She just wanted to get dressed. She wasn’t the kind of person that just wandered around naked.

“Hey, Honey Girl, you fall in, or what?” Negan asked as he knocked on the door.

Cosette jumped a bit, her arms crossing over her chest. As she turned to the door she asked, without opening it, “Why can’t I get dressed?”

“What’s the matter Kid? You feeling vulnerable?” Negan asked slyly as he grinned at the door. He knew she was in there looking at herself. Wondering how to figure him out. This is what she got for not listening. When she didn’t answer he took it for a yes and he tried the door, pleased when it opened. She stood there turned away from him some, her arms crossed over her chest. “You could get dressed right now.”

“You said I couldn’t!” Cosette yelled, frustrated and outraged by how he was still treating her.

“I’m not going to let you, but you could. You could try to get by me and at least put on some of my clothes,” Negan said as he leaned on the doorway. “You broke a plate and wasted food, ran away from me, defiance isn’t new to you.”

“You said you’d cut them off me!” Cosette insisted trying hard not to throw her hands around as a further show of her frustration. She would be ashamed of it later, but she did stomp her foot.

“They wouldn’t be yours, why would you care?” Negan asked as he stepped into the bathroom with her. “You know I’m not going to cut you up, you’re my omega. I might have smacked your ass, but let’s face it you’re lucky you’re not over my knee now. Young, little, omega’s that get older, bigger, alpha’s sometimes find themselves being corrected accordingly.”

“You’d still be angry with me!” Cosette whined as she backed away from him.

“I sure as fuck would be pissed with you,” Negan growled. Only then he grinned wide as he got in her face, and asked, “But! Here is the fucking question of the day! Why do you care if I’m angry with you?”

Cosette froze as she looked at him, wide eyed. Her mouth worked wordlessly at first before she whined, “I don’t want to…”

“Don’t want to what?” Negan asked standing back up to his full height to see her, and give her just a little space.

“I don’t want to have an alpha! I don’t want a mate! Do you know what happens when you’re torn apart?! Do you know what happens to an omega when their alpha dies?! My mom just wouldn’t get up! She wouldn’t leave him. She just sat there and died! Dad wouldn’t have wanted to hurt her like that!” Cosette cried as she crouched down, covering her head with her arms, and hiding her body from him. She was positive that he wouldn’t want to hear that.

“Fuck…” Negan breathed rubbing his hand over his face, “Fuckity, fuck…” He held his arms out for her insisting, “I’m not going to fucking leave you alone.”

Cosette looked up at him, but she shook her head and crawled back away from him insisting though her tears, “No! No, no, no! I don’t care if you won’t give me back my clothes! Just leave me alone!”

“Come on Kid,” Negan said as he tried to coax her to him, watching her huddle back against the tub. “I’ll be good to ya.”

Cosette shook her head as she pulled her knees to her chest, and covered her head with her arms once more. The tile and the tub were both cold, but she didn’t care that she was shivering. It stayed like that for a moment, but then he was pulling her into his hold. She pushed at him, but it didn’t stop him from getting her in his lap. When he curled forward to see her she tried to turn away still hyper aware of being naked.

Negan nosed at her cheek, trying to get her attention, but she weakly growled at him instead. He growled lightly back at her, and that’s when she looked up at him. “I know it hurts, but I’m going to fucking take care of you,” he told her as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I’m not going to stop. I’m not going to leave you alone. I’m not just going to dump you outside, or leave you here to freeze on the bathroom floor.”

“You just want to…” Cosette started but he didn’t let her finish.

Negan snatched her chin between his fingers snarling at her, “It is not just because I want to stick my dick in you. Don’t get me wrong you are very fucking hot, and I want to knot you so fucking bad,” He bucked his hips with her in his lap, if for no other reason than he was flustered and figured he shouldn’t be the only one, “but I don’t need you in my house driving me up a wall to do that! I could just as easily lock you up somewhere, somewhere you can’t fucking break my shit and defy me every time you cut those pretty brown eyes at me. I could wait for you to go into heat and wait for you to _beg_. We both know you’d beg me to put my fat dick in you, and knot you. I’d have you begging me for a week to fuck you. In fact, I bet if I riled you enough and kept you stressed out I could get you to go into heat within the week. That is not what I’m trying to do. I want to take care of you, but you won’t fucking let me.”

Cosette was in tears again but she pushed passed his hands to nuzzle at his jaw. “I’m sorry…” she whimpered at him. “I’m so sorry…” She just didn’t want to agree to this and then it all be ripped away from her.

Negan pressed his forehead to hers at that. When her lips found his, he snapped his eyes open, but she was already burying her face against his neck. “Little Girl?” he tried to coax her into looking up at him. He wasn’t even positive her lips had really touched him, it’d been so fast.

“I want to lay back down…” Cosette breathed, still unsure about this. Unsure of why she’d kissed him, even if it was just a peck. “Will you sit with me?”

“Yeah Kid, I’ll stay with you,” Negan breathed against her hair before he coaxed her into standing up. He stood up after her, and she actually took his hand leading him back to the room she’d nested in. His eyes followed her every movement, he lamented that he’d have to give her back her clothes after this. He loved seeing her body. He wanted to touch her, make her his.

_Damn it._

He pulled his thoughts from her nakedness as they moved into the closet. She helped by putting her hand on his chest telling him, “Hold on.” She didn’t know what she was saying meant something else to him. Only then she suddenly wasn’t helping his resolve as she moved down and started pushing and shoving her nest around, adding in the blankets he brought. He had to look up away from her knowing it was going to be a race to see whose dynamic got them first. His rut, or her heat. She was on hands and knees and he knew if he wasn’t careful he was going to be hard for her. She was getting him horny and she didn’t even know it. Only when he glanced down at her she tossed the one pillow floating around the top of the nest into the corner, and he realized there was something sticking out of the pillow case…

A shirt.

_His_ shirt.

He grinned widely, only that’s when she looked up at him, and she made some little noise and suddenly she was under one of the blankets. He realized it was embarrassment that made that noise. “What Little Girl?”

“I’m naked! You’re looking at me!” Cosette complained not coming out from under the blanket.

“I’ve been looking at you this whole time!” Negan laughed as he moved down onto his hands and knees, poking at the little lump that was Cosette.

“But I wasn’t bent over like that!” Cosette insisted as she tried to shuffle away from him.

Negan couldn’t help but chuckle more. She hadn’t realized he caught her stealing his shirt. He decided not to let her in on it. “Didn’t realize you were presenting yourself to your alpha?” Negan teased her. Only then a little whine came from under the black comforter. “Shit… Kiddo, it’s okay…” Negan huffed managing to get his hand under the blanket, but not grabbing for her. Just holding his hand out to her. “I’m not going to jump you.”

Cosette frowned before she took Negan’s hand and moved around so her head was sticking out. She tugged on his hand a bit, and for a second she worried he wouldn’t get the hint, but he crawled into her nest. They moved around until he was curled around her, her back to his front. He even let her stay under the blanket.


	4. We'll Figure This Out

_“Alpha!”_

“Kid?!”

Cosette jolted as she tried to sit up, but Negan was holding her down. As she looked up at him, she realized she was crying. She started rubbing at her eyes, and she knew she was whimpering softly. “I’m sorry,” she cried lightly before she pushed her palms against her eyes and held her breath in an attempt to control herself. It wasn’t working very well.

Negan pushed her hands away and kissed her forehead, earning him a gasp that got her breathing again. Once her eyes focused on him he asked, “Hey, hey, why are you sorry? What’s wrong Baby Girl?”

“I… uh… I always,” Cosette didn’t even know what to say after she’d started talking and trailed off. Once he pulled her up into his lap. Cradling her in his arms Cosette explained softly, “I’m always waking everyone up…” Usually there wasn’t anyone asking her what was wrong. She was met with a chorus of _“Not again.”_ She wondered how long it would be before that his was response too…

“It’s the middle of the day Kid, it’s just a nap,” Negan hummed as he leaned back against the wall. He kept her curled against him. After a moment he looked down at her, and asked, “Were you calling for me, or a different alpha?”

Cosette bit her lip as she squirmed in his hold. She had been calling for him. “I’ve never had an alpha, except my dad… and of course I didn’t call him Alpha,” she explained instead of answering his question. With his ego, of course he’d draw the conclusion all on his own.

“So, it must be me,” Negan grinned as he nuzzled at her cheek.

Cosette fumbled for something to say, not use to someone so bold anymore, but there was banging from downstairs saving her from having to come up with something. When there was some faint yelling she couldn’t make out, as well, she clung to Negan when she realized it was someone at the door and she was still very naked. Negan kissed her forehead before lifting her out of his lap.

“Stay here,” Negan told her as he stood up. Before he could walk away though she gripped at his pant leg, looking up at him worriedly. “Put on one of my shirts if it makes you feel better, but stay up here okay?”

Cosette nodded as she forced herself to let go of him. She watched him go before she looked at the pillow that contained his shirt. When she saw it sticking out she hurriedly shoved it back inside the pillowcase before she cautiously got up. She hoped he didn’t see it. She wanted to keep it. He’d notice if his other stuff went missing…

Quickly she got up and hurried off to Negan’s room. His clothes were still scattered on the floor. She gathered them up looking around frantically. She found the hamper in the bathroom and shoved them in before she disappeared into the closet pulling a white shirt off a hanger before getting it on. Moving out into the bedroom she looked around again, unsure what to do. Should she go back to the other room?

When she moved into the hallway she found Negan walking back towards her, Lucille in hand. “Little thing, go back in the room while I get you some clothes, then we gotta go check something out,” Negan explained as he stopped and waved for her to close the door. “Don’t peek.”

Cosette narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before she decidedly closed the door. It took every ounce of will power to let go of the handle and back up enough that he wouldn’t smack her with the door when he opened it. This wasn’t the _“You get your clothes back”_ moment she was expecting… She didn’t want to jinx herself, but she hoped that he’d let her keep them. Maybe what they were doing would keep them busy until it was late… that he’d let her eat dinner with her clothes on… maybe let her sleep in his shirt… Sleeping naked wouldn’t be too bad… but she didn’t want to be naked in front of him anymore…

Negan on the other hand set Lucille against the wall and walked back into the room she’d nested in and over to the bed digging a duffle bag out from under it. It was all the way back against the wall, carefully shoved so it wouldn’t be easily seen. It was his, but he wanted to leave Cosette her own bag with her stuff. He was grateful that she hadn’t found it, no doubt if she did she’d just spend the rest of her time hunting them down after he found a different hiding place. He pulled out some underwear and a bra. They were a dark red, and Negan had to wonder if she looted matching underwear for the apocalypse. Then he pulled out some tight, but worn, jeans and a black thermal shirt. It was starting to get colder out, and the sky looked like it was about to throw a tantrum. With that he gathered her a pair of socks and shoved the duffle back into its hiding spot. He’d intended to give her back her clothes, but she was still trying to deny him. How she reacted to his question was proof enough.

After, Negan stuck his head back out into the hallway pleased to find that she wasn’t trying to figure it out. Walking over he opened the door finding her looking at him intently. A grin settled on his lips as he offered, “If you’re good I’ll let you keep them the rest of the day.”

A frown slipped across her lips as he walked over and handed her the bundle of clothes. “The rest of the day?” Cosette questioned. Couldn’t he just let her keep her clothes?

“You still haven’t fucking earned them, I thought for a moment you had, but I was wrong,” Negan hummed as he waved for her to get changed. “Just because I don’t want the whole world lookin’ at you naked doesn’t mean shit.”

Grumbling Cosette moved over to the bathroom, kicking the door shut behind her. Perhaps a little harder than she should have.

“You’re going to be naked the second we’re in the door acting like that!” Negan shouted after her, his laugh vibrating through his tone.

oOo

“We’re not going in there for you,” Negan insisted as he kept his arm firmly around Cosette. She was shivering against his side. She’d stopped dead the second she realized they were going into Carson’s house. “You’re going to tell me if the ladies who showed up are your sisters. Some blonde ladies showed up at the gate, but they didn’t say they were looking for you. Haven’t said if they’re related.”

Cosette wasn’t sure she wanted to. If they didn’t say they were her sisters then they either weren’t, or they were planning something. Something that could get her away from the alpha next to her. Cosette shook her head, only to regret it when he pressed his lips to her cheek growling lowly, “Then I guess I can kick them out. They’re not being very forthcoming, and they want to come into my community where I have an omega to think about. They’re going to have to go.”

“I’ll go!” Cosette yelped. She didn’t want him to kick them out if they were Alice and Mina. She didn’t want to lose her sisters…

“Good!” Negan crowed as he led her forward to the door. He could feel how tense she was, and see how uncomfortable this was making her though, and decided he’d make it quick. Yes, no, make sure that Carson check the girls over, and that Simon gave them the free house across from his if they were Cosette’s sisters. If not he didn’t give a shit. When he opened the door he let go of Cosette so she could walk on her own, but she grabbed onto his sleeve before he could continue.

“I don’t see why we have to wait here!”

Cosette sucked in a breath, and stiffly let go of Negan before she walked far enough with him to see into the living room. The two women in there were definitely her sisters. They were on their feet before she could think to stop them. What if Negan figured them out too? Figured out they were all omegan. Their scent was still muddled so they’d found more suppressants. If he figured it out then he’d take the pills from them.

“Cos!” Alice let out a happy yelp as she got to the youngest sister first. Alice was taller than Cosette, slim, with long limbs. She’d had dreams of being a dancer before the end. Cosette didn’t know what to do, or say, she just clung to her sister accepting the cuddling. Alice was easily the most outgoing of them.

“Are you okay?” Mina asked as she hugged her sister from behind. She was almost as tall as Negan, and had actual curves that Cosette had envied since she learned she’d get a bust. Cosette always just felt like a jellyroll next to her sisters, even if the end had taken some of it, that her curves were pudge while Mina was actually curvy the way women were portrayed conventionally.

“Yeah, I’m fine…” Cosette said, unsure how to tell them that Negan had taken her clothes before this. That he smelled like heaven in the middle of this hell and she was behaving like a heathen because of it. She wasn’t sure which one they’d be more outraged by.

Negan watched the girls, and decided that Cosette was the youngest, not just the shortest. What he couldn’t immediately decide was their dynamic. Only he didn’t get to dwell on it very long as the oldest turned on him growling, “Why is your scent all over my sister?!”

“She’s my omega,” Negan shrugged as though it were obvious. He felt it was.

“She’s not property!” Mina insisted, standing her ground as the doctor quickly appeared in the hallway behind Negan.

“No, she fucking isn’t, but she is still _mine_ ,” Negan snapped as he advanced on the girls. The trim one pulled Cosette farther from him as the tall one before him got in his face.

“Mina…” Cosette tried to get her attention but Alice hushed her.

“Maybe we should all calm down,” Emmet suggested as he stepped further into the room.

“He kidnapped our sister and has done god knows what else to her! Do not tell me to calm down,” Mina snapped at the doctor before going back to growl at Negan, “Just because she’s an omega doesn’t mean you get to treat her like a thing.”

“Alice, she needs to stop,” Cosette tried to insist as she pulled on Alice’s shirt hem.

Negan’s eyes zeroed in on Cosette at that before he grinned and asked the irate blonde in front of him, “Your mom always knew you weren’t going to be an alpha, huh?” When Mina jolted he looked back at the one holding to Cosette, “Wonder how your mom knew you were all going to be omegan. After all she named you after famous omegan literary characters.”

Cosette bit her lip as Mina stepped away from Negan, even as her older sister growled, “We’re leaving.”

“Cosette isn’t going any-fucking-where,” Negan told them as his eyes landed on the little omega. Cosette trying her best not to look at him. “She’s going to stay with me.”

“I’m not going to let you rape my sister!” Mina snarled as she put herself between her sister’s and the leather clad man.

Negan stepped back his face twisted in disgust, before it melted into fury. “I’m going to tell you what I fucking told her,” Negan snapped and snarled as he got in Mina’s face, “If I just wanted to stick my dick in her I could have her locked up somewhere and I’d just wait for her fucking heat.” The blonde in front of him whimpered, distraught, “Do you know who I fucking am? _I’m Negan_! I run this place! If I wanted I could have all of you, but I don’t fucking want you. I don’t want the tall one back there either. I want Cosette. Even if she tells me no, and spends her heat hold up in a house on the other side of the fucking Haven, even if I have to go through rut with nothing more than my fist, she doesn’t get to fucking leave.”

“What if she wants to leave?!” Alice snapped shoving Cosette behind her.

“She’d come back,” Negan laughed, deep and dark, “or you’d crack and bring her back for her own good.”

“So, there was a reason you could tell she was an omega,” Emmet said as though he’d made a medical discovery.

“What?” Mina gasped as she stumbled back away from the man. To put more distance between them.

“You fucking heard me,” Negan gave them a toothy grin, especially when Cosette peeked around her sisters to look at him. “Go on Kid, you tell your sisters how good I smell.”

Cosette sucked in a breath, not sure what to do, or say. Her sisters looked at her, questioning, disbelieving. When her eyes flicked to Negan though she knew he expected her to say something. To tell them. She stepped back, but her sisters didn’t follow her to keep him from her. They just watched her, stuck in their spots. Negan pulled the scarf from around his neck shoving what he could get of it in his back pocket. He unzipped his jacket and started towards her as he rubbed at the side of his neck almost harshly. Cosette shook her head at him and backed up more hitting a wall as her sisters just let him push them aside.

“I can show them how good I smell to you. I bet I can make you squirm, and make all kinds of naughty noises,” Negan insisted as he gripped her wrist when he got to her. He didn’t move to pull her against him though. He gave her a second and that’s all it took.

“He’s smells like the dragon’s blood incense I use to burn all the time, and the forest when you have a fire going at night. He smells like he should leave scorched earth and ashes in his wake…” Cosette breathed out in a rush, afraid that he’d press her nose to the scent gland on his neck and her sisters would see her cling to him, and moan his name, and nuzzle him so the scent wouldn’t fade. She wasn’t sure she was ready to do that in private let alone in front of anyone.

“He sounds like a demon,” Mina hissed at her.

Negan flashed a grin telling her, “You have no fucking idea.”

Alice frowned as she watched her sister, and the man insisting they were mates. Not just any kind of mates. True mates. The kind that could pick each other out of a crowd before they marked each other. “We’re going to have to stay…” Alice sighed as she wrapped her arms around her middle.

Mina looked torn before she glared at Cosette, “You got lost, and he fucking caught you! Huh?!

Negan clenched his jaw when Cosette tensed and shifted her weight, so she was even just slightly behind him. Before he could snap at the oldest sister Alice cut in, “It doesn’t matter how this happened. It happened, and if we take her from him she’s always going to feel empty. God forbid she ever go into heat because all she’ll want is him. Eventually it would kill her. Suppressants won’t be around forever. The ones we have might stop working at any point. Fuck knows what they’re doing to our bodies now!”

Mina growled at her, but Alice growled back. Cosette found herself grabbing onto Negan’s sleeve with her free hand, even though he was still holding onto her wrist. She hated when they fought. Her shoulders tightened, and she ground her teeth together as she stared intently at the ground in front of her. She didn’t notice Negan staring down at her, a deep frown on his lips as her sisters continued to bicker. She just wanted them to stop, but trying to get them to stop never helped, and anything she ever did like walk away just turned their ire on her…

“ **Shut your fucking mouths**!” Negan demanded, his voice practically vibrating through the room. The girls in front of him froze their mouths indeed snapping shut. Emmet’s back even straightened a bit. He found he got plenty of attention without his alpha voice, but there were times it was helpful. “You two will finish getting checked out by the doc. I’ll have someone take you to the house you’ll be sharing, and I’ll have someone bring you to dinner later. You damn well better figure your shit the fuck out before you hit my doorstep. Just know that you two can get lost but I’m fucking keeping Cosette here.”

After that Negan started dragging her away, even though Cosette tried to back pedal. All she heard though was Alice saying, _“They’re meant to be together, he won’t hurt her.”_ Once they were to the door though she stopped struggling and just walked with him. When she did he let go of her wrist, but she found herself still holding onto his sleeve. He didn’t stop her or try to shake her off. He just kept walking, his shoulders squared. People practically rushed to be on the other side of the street.

When she forced herself to let go of him, and she stopped walking, Negan turned around with an abrupt growl. Cosette cringed at first, but then she straightened her back saying, “If they leave…” she paused when he bared his teeth at her, but she still insisted, “I’m going to have to go with them.”

“No.” Negan seethed as he seized her wrist again.

“They’re my family!” Cosette insisted as she tried to pull away from him.

“They make you feel fucking awful!” Negan jabbed his finger back at where they came from even as she shook her head desperately at him. “You shrank in on yourself the whole time they fought! Here we are fighting and you’re all puffed up like some irate fucking bird! You expected me to be angry at you because you had a nightmare! That means they’re getting mad at you for something you can’t control. I don’t give a flying fuck if they’re _your family_! They are stomping all over your soul, and if they can’t get their shit together like I fucking said they can’t see you!”

“You can’t…” Cosette said, shaking her head. Trying to tell herself that what he said wasn’t true. They were her sisters. They didn’t mean it. She was just annoying! She was the baby, they’d been listening to her cry since the day she was born! They were allowed to be annoyed by her. Only as these thoughts flashed through her mind she could see Negan figuring it all out.

“What fucking awful things are you thinking about yourself?” Negan growled as he pulled her closer to him, circling his pointer finger in front of her eyes. “I can see it right there on your face. Calling yourself an irritating little shit. _They don’t mean to be god awful!_ You’re just an annoying little brat that they have to put up with. They didn’t ask for you to be here hanging onto their apron strings!” He watched her ire grow at him, but he cut her off snarling, “Oh, fuck no you don’t. If you don’t like it coming out of my mouth than stop thinking it about yourself.”

Cosette shut her mouth with an audible click before she glared at the ground between them. She didn’t object when he started pulling her along after him either. There was no way to argue against that without being the irrational one. It didn’t take long before they were back at Negan’s home after that, and she hovered nearby awkwardly as he gave out orders over a walkie to someone about her sisters.

Then he set the radio down and Cosette tried to slip away but his hand snatched out and grabbed her wrist pulling her towards him. “Take them off.” Negan told her softly. She shook her head vehemently trying to get away from him. “Take them off, or I’ll take them from you,” he explained calmly as he captured her other wrist, so she couldn’t push at him anymore.

“Please stop! Please! Negan!” Cosette insisted as she tied to pull away from him anyway. Only when he tried to hold onto both her wrists in the same hand she took advantage of his lack of grip and shot forward against him. She held onto him tightly, trying to hide from him while hiding against him. “I don’t like it! Please I’ll listen!”

Negan bit his lip, then his tongue, as he peered down at her blonde curls. “Oh, Baby Doll, but you’re _not_ listening!” He told her as he slipped his hands up the sides of her shirt. “I already told you what I really want. I thought you got it earlier in the bathroom, but I was wrong. If nothing else spending time in just your skin will give you some self-confidence, maybe you’ll tell your sisters to shove it.”

She knew what he really wanted, for her to say he was alpha. She just didn’t know if she could handle it. She didn’t know if she was ready to admit it. She didn’t know what it would really mean to them. Cosette clung to him harder. She didn’t know what to do. “Negan… please… just let me keep my clothes…” Cosette whimpered against his chest. “I’ll be good…”

“Then say it,” Negan huffed as he took his hands from her shirt and instead hid her in his arms.

“But I don’t know you!” Cosette cried out against his shirt, his jacket still unzipped from before. “I don’t know anything about you! Just that you smell good! One of us is going to run out of time and we’re going to mate because our bodies will want it, but I don’t fucking know you! You’re just some stranger that scooped me up on the side of the road because I smelled good! I! I don’t know what to do!” That’s what did it, and she was just sobbing against him.

Negan was frozen to his spot with this little thing just crying at him. “Shit…” He breathed, his head tilted back so he was looking up at the ceiling. “I know I call you… but it’s easy to forget that you’re… just a kid.” Moving a hand up to tangle in the hair at the back of her head he told her, “We’ll figure this out…”


	5. Hold it Together

Cosette blinked open her eyes, finding herself leaning against Negan’s chest. They were sitting on the couch in the living room, and behind her she could hear the tv playing. Sitting up she looked over her shoulder surprised to find Silence of the Lambs playing behind her. When she looked back in front of her she found him focused on her.

Negan reached up and brushed his thumb gently against her cheek then, asking, “Feel better now?” She’d exhausted herself crying against him. He’d moved them over to the couch when she tried to move away from him, and when he’d sat them down she’d settled into him instead. Her cries turning to hiccups, and eventually her breathing evened out. Silence of the Lambs just still happened to be in the DVD player when he managed to snag the remotes from the side table.

She nodded as she rubbed at an eye with the palm of her hand before she pressed it to her forehead. “I’m such a mess… I don’t really cry this much.” Cosette mumbled as Negan pulled her back against him and moved them so they were leaning against the arm of the couch. If she turned her head she could see the movie now too.

“It’s because of your heat,” Negan shrugged before he pulled her back down against him, and pet her hair, “We can’t get a damned handle on each other because we’re both about to become fucking sexual deviants. You know, I’m not supposed to go into rut for another two months at least, damn it, but your scent is getting me. Then Carson saying we had two weeks before you’d even go into preheat. Bullshit.”

“You’re the one who insisted I see a doctor,” Cosette huffed as she propped her chin up on his chest.

“You fucking fainted,” Negan insisted even as his hands slid down her back, and then back up under her shirt. When she blew a frustrated breath out through her nose he frowned before he asked, “You really that scared of doctors?”

Cosette ducked her head down at that, embarrassed, though she admitted, “Yes, okay. I really hate doctors. I don’t know why, it’s just always been a problem. Like, I was the kid that was always crying in the next room. I can pull it together now, but I still don’t want to go.”

Negan let out an amused hum as he let his hands span her back. When she just continued to hide against him Negan rubbed at her back as he told her, “Your turn.”

At first she didn’t really understand before she got it, and sat up on his thighs to look down at him. He was giving her the chance to ask him questions about himself. There were so many questions she wanted to ask. She wasn’t sure where to start. Her hands gripped at his shirt as she thought about what she wanted to know the most. When his hands squeezed lightly at her sides under her shirt she asked suddenly, “Did you have a mate before… this?”

Negan froze under her, but relaxed as she looked down at him in panic. Like she hadn’t meant to ask that question. He could immediately see her internally chastising herself. Rubbing his thumbs against her skin Negan told her before she could take it back, “I had a wife, but we never marked each other. I didn’t know it until the end, but she was sick. I just thought she was against the idea of having to be mated to love each other, but really it was because she knew she was going to die. She died, just… died as all of this was starting to happen.”

Cosette was immediately sorry she’d asked. She’d just wanted to know something about him. She wanted to know about him before this, but that’s not what she expected. Cosette wasn’t sure what she expected though. “I’m sorry,” Cosette said sadly.

“Don’t be. I was a dick to her because I didn’t understand at first, I’m the one who should be sorry,” Negan breathed with a tight smile. “I know what happened to your parents. Now you know what happened to my wife.”

When her eyes drifted down to her hands Cosette found them fisted in his shirt. It made it so there was a sliver of his belly was showing and Cosette quickly let go and started to right his shirt, smoothing it out. Only then he shot up so he was sitting too, and he huffed out a harsh breath, “Kid you pet me like that and you’re going to start shit you’re not ready for.”

“I-uh… I was just righting your shirt…!” Cosette squeaked as her hands fidgeted lightly in the air between them, unsure what to do with herself.

Negan couldn’t help it he busted out laughing. Capturing her face between his hands he pulled her gently closer and kissed her lightly on the lips, still chuckling some. After he let her slip from his fingers as she leaned back suddenly, her hands over her mouth. His brows shot right for his hairline as he asked, “You ever been kissed before?”

“Yeah!” Cosette insisted childishly, before she regained her composure, her hands planting themselves on her thighs. “I had a boyfriend before…”

When she stopped Negan frowned, “Before the end?”

Cosette sighed and shook her head, “Before I went into heat… a while before the end. It was the first time I was going into real heat, and I didn’t want _anyone_. I didn’t want anyone near me. I didn’t want them to look at me. I didn’t want anyone to even fucking talk to me through the door… I know what I told you, about wanting someone, but I didn’t want any of _them_. I didn’t want my family, or my friends, and I really didn’t want _him_ … He was willing to let it go that I wasn’t ready to be with anyone… but I was really awful to him. When he came to talk to me… I just wouldn’t. He tried texting me, and I wouldn’t answer. At some point he came over to try again and I told him to go the fuck away until I was better and that I didn’t want anyone out there, outside of my room, and he told me he didn’t want me. That he wasn’t ever coming back… that we were over. I think my dad almost went to jail… They wouldn’t talk about it, probably because it was my fault.”

“That wasn’t your fault,” Negan sighed.

“It was though. I really liked him, and I just treated him like garbage. I was kinder not saying anything…” Cosette breathed as she shifted her weight trying to see if he’d let her go. When he didn’t she mumbled, “In any case I’ve been kissed before… but that’s about it. We copped a few feels over our clothes, but we hadn’t been together that long. I didn’t want to rush… my sisters always seemed to rush.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Negan insisted again even though he knew she was trying to change to the subject.

“You had a wife before you even set eyes on me, it’s obviously possible to have your shit together without finding your true mate, if you even have one. You can’t claim that I wanted you before I even thought you might have existed. I was being an unruly little beast because I wanted an alpha to take control and make me,” Cos growled at him through her teeth, “He didn’t have the guts to tell me off, so I was a mean little bitch to him until he went away.”

Negan was still for a long time after that. Cosette didn’t back down though as they growled at each other. “I fucking cheated on her!” he seethed only partly satisfied when all the wind went out of Cosette’s sails. “She was dying of fucking cancer and I was sticking my dick in any pretty thing who batted an eye at me. I thought she didn’t want me, so I was going to fuck around on her before she could do it to me, but really I just had my head so far up my own ass I couldn’t tell that she was _dying!_ All you did was say some mean shit to a boy who didn’t know how to fucking deal with you! Your little omega instincts knew a limp dick when they saw one and didn’t want to fucking sully you with it. Fuck! And, I bet you didn’t talk to your damn father this way, and if you ever speak about yourself like that again I swear on your pretty little head that I will take my belt to your ass until you _beg_ me good and proper to stop.”

Cosette ducked her head at that and nodded, “I understand…”

Negan forcefully wrapped his arms around her at that and leaned back against the arm of the couch once more. She turned her head to see the movie, but Negan watched her a little longer. She was stiff against him at first but after a minute, or so, she relaxed into him. Her legs stretched out along his, and her fingers hooked into the sides of his shirt. Once she seemed settled, and he could feel her breathing deeply, despite being awake, he turned to watch the movie just as Clarice sat down sopping wet outside of Hannibal Lecter’s cell, with the towel he offered her.

oOo

Cosette sat on the counter next to the sink as Negan prepared dinner. She offered to help, but he shooed her away saying that he was going to _provide for them_ tonight, and she could cook dinner tomorrow. She’d started out pouting, but really watching him cook was entertaining. Tonight’s fare was venison chili. He’d cut all the vegetables, cooked up the meat, even had some homemade broth of some sort, and popped open some cans of green chilis and kidney beans that still seemed decent enough. When the doorbell rang Negan glanced at the clock on the wall and told her, “It’s one of the cooks with the bread, go get it.”

“Bread?” Cosette questioned even as she pushed herself off the counter to follow directions.

“Yeah, I’m out, got butter and no fucking bread, so I called for some,” Negan insisted as he watched her wander out of the kitchen.

When Cosette opened the door she smiled at the person holding out a baguette wrapped in butchers paper. “Thank you,” she offered. The boy was probably about her age, but he wouldn’t look at her, so she wasn’t entirely sure. When the boy peeked up at her she was sure a light breeze could have toppled her over. “Shawn?” He thankfully wasn’t her boyfriend, but the two boys had been friends.

“Cos?!” Shawn nearly screeched. “You’re the boss’ mate?”

“I… We’re working on it…” Cosette stammered as she looked around like more people from her past might pop out of the bushes or something. She did not look like she’d be happy for that to happen either. “It’s complicated…”

“I guess that’s why it didn’t work out with Nathen…” Shawn said scratching the back of his head.

“Is he here?” Cosette asked, even though she didn’t really want to know. Not after what she’d told Negan earlier.

“Uh, yeah we…” Shawn started but he dropped to a knee when he saw Negan appear over Cosette’s shoulder.

Cosette frowned, deeply confused. “What the hell are you doing?” Cos asked as she fumbled with the bread, and backed up some. Only Negan caught her shoulders and glared suspiciously at the boy in front of him.

“That him?” Negan asked, baring his teeth.

“No!” Cosette yelped as she turned around in his hold. “Just someone I knew from school. Why is he kneeling?”

“Fuck that’s right you haven’t seen that yet. It’s one of the rules here to kneel when I acknowledge a person or group outside, or walk into a building or room, but Carson is exempt when he’s working because of the nature of his job, and you live here so I thought it’d be a little redundant to make you kneel every time I went out of a room and came back in.” Negan explained as he gripped her shoulders, but eyed the boy who was nervously twitching on his doorstep. “Definitely not your ex?”

“Definitely not him,” Cosette nodded looking up at Negan earnestly.

“Fine,” Negan sighed before he told the boy, “Get up and get back to work.”

Shawn did just that at top speed before Negan reached around Cosette to shut the door. When he took the bread from her Cosette insisted, “If he is here could you not make a big deal about it? It was just stupid teenager stuff… No one needs to get hurt over it again.”

“Don’t act like you don’t know,” Negan chastised her. When she ducked her head submissively he pet her hair with one hand as he told her, “I won’t fuck the kid over when I figure out who he is.”

oOo

“I’m going to kiss you Honey Girl,” Negan said plainly as they sat on the couch watching X-Men, waiting for her sisters to join them, the chili simmering on the burner in the kitchen. Cosette got to pick this time, but he was more interested in her than in the movie. She looked up at him wide-eyed, the movie suddenly forgotten for her too.

When he didn’t do it right away Cosette frowned a bit before saying, “Okay…?”

That’s when he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. At first it was soft but then he became more insistent. His fingers curled into her hair and held her closer. He pulled back just a little only to bite at her lower lip. When he let go Cosette watched him for a moment before she shoved her lips back to his, crawling closer to him. Negan growled lowly into her mouth and pulled her across his lap.

It was about when Cosette pulled away to nip at his jaw that there was knocking on the door. Negan groaned and Cosette quickly shuffled off his lap to stand up. She went to head for the door, but Negan caught her hand insisting, “You don’t have to jump up like we’re going something naughty.”

Cosette looked at like she clearly wasn’t sure if that was true, before she scrambled to cover, “I… yeah, no, I get that – I know.”

Negan laughed lightly as he stood with her, and keeping her hand as he wandered towards the door. He opened the door to Simon sighing in exasperation and Mina and Alice whispering furiously to each other. Negan eyed them for a moment before asking, “Do we have our shit together, or am I sending you home with doggy bags?”

Mina glared at him silently, but Alice quickly insisted, “We’ll agree to be civil and give you a chance as long as you aren’t mistreating Cossie.”

“I mistreating you, Kid?” Negan asked as he looked down at Cosette.

Cosette shook her head at him before she looked to her sisters saying, “He’s not hurting me any.”

“Then let’s eat,” Alice said happily, clapping her hands together. Mina seemed to relax more at that, and followed Alice inside when Negan motioned for them to enter.

“You got plans for dinner Si?” Negan asked as he looked to his second hoping the man would take the invitation to dinner with them.

“Yeah, sorry boss, poker night is pot luck this week. Winner keeps the leftovers.” Simon grinned with a wave of his hand as he started off the porch, “You enjoy family night.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Negan muttered as he shut the door and let go of Cosette, so she could trail after her sisters into the living room. When he followed after them Negan turned the movie and the tv off telling them, “Dinner’s already to go, we can eat and then watch something together if you girls want.”

There was a general murmur of agreement, but really Cosette just hoped that they made it through dinner.

oOo

“Five minutes…” Cosette muttered.

“What?!” Mina snapped at her, cutting off in the middle of her tirade. Something about Negan being a power hungry alpha that just wanted into Cosette’s pants. Really, Cosette wasn’t listening. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts, and desperately watching the clock on the stove to see if they could make it a decent amount of time before this all fell apart.

“Five fucking minutes! You couldn’t keep it together for five god damn minutes!” Cosette yelled as she shot up out of her seat her hands slamming down on the table. Negan sat beside her going to town on his chili, barely appearing to have heard Mina’s outburst, but Cosette’s stomach was all tied up in knots and as good as it was she couldn’t find the will to eat it.

At first Mina looked too shocked by her sister’s language to retort, but then she glared at the youngest of them and sneered, “Do you even want to be here?!”

Cosette opened her mouth to yell some more but she froze before her answer could get to her lips. Alice almost choked on her bread, and Cos wondered which answer Alice thought was so obvious that she was accidently inhaling her chili soaked bread. Her eyes cut to Negan who was lazily licking his spoon as he waited for her answer, his eyes finding hers.

“Well do you?!” Mina demanded the answer this time. She stood abruptly as well, nearly toppling her chair as she pestered her youngest sister, “Do you?! Answer me Cosette!”

“Yes!” Cosette yelled even as her anxiety over it all seemed to burst out of it’s carefully contained bubble. “Yes! Okay?! I wan… Iwanttostay!”

“Fuck…” Negan sighed as he realized she was hyperventilating. It took everything in him not to add to the scene. He didn’t move passed putting down his spoon. “Kid? You need me to help you upstairs?”

“Cos? Cos you gotta breathe,” Alice tried to help as she stood up, touching her sister’s shoulder as Mina seemed to shrink in on herself. When Mina sat back down Alice’s eyes narrowed on her seething, “Why do you always have to harass her?”

Cosette shoved at Alice’s hand before she reached her hand out for Negan. His hand was in hers in a second, and he got up, leading her up to her nest. That is, not before he snarled, “Both of you get the fuck out.”

It didn’t take long for them to get to her room, and into the closet. Cosette pulled and shoved at Negan until he sat down in the middle of her nest before she sat astride his lap and shoved her face against his neck. She did her best to breathe for a few seconds, then hold it, then breathe again. When that didn’t seem to help she whimpered helplessly.

“Breathe…” Negan huffed, taking a deliberately deep breath. She was pressing herself so close, but he still braced his hand against her back making sure she could feel him breathing. “Breathe with me.” When she shook her head at him he told her, “My favorite color is black.” Her breathing was of course still frantic, but he continued anyway. “I used to teach high school P.E. and sell used cars.” When she jerked back to look at him he grinned at her and insisted proudly, “I like sunflowers.”

Cosette snorted because it was hard to laugh when it felt like she couldn’t breathe. After though it was just a little easier. Her head fell back to his shoulder, and she tried to slow her breathing again as he told her things. Like how he preferred to eat pumpkin seeds even though he liked sunflowers, and that he really fucking missed SpaghettiOs. The ingredients to the spaghetti sauce he made her came next, and other little things about himself followed.

“I’m really going to like winter this year, because then I can wrap us up in a blanket, and it will be so fucking easy to push our clothes out of the way and just fuck.” Negan growled lowly against her ear before he realized that he needed to calm her down, and that probably wasn’t the best way to go about it.

A harsh breath left her, but Cosette realized it was because of what Negan said and not because she was having trouble breathing. She’d calmed down. Listening to him talk did the trick. Leaning up she looked at him, but she didn’t say anything. Cosette pressed her lips to his, only to pull back just as fast. “I… uh… That wasn’t the right time… I just wanted a kiss.”

“You can have as many as you’d like,” Negan laughed before he cupped her face in his hands. “Now what was all this about? You’ve fought with me tooth and nail. Didn’t miss a beat.”

“It’s just… I’ve…” Cosette mumbled as she looked up at him, only to clamp her eyes shut and push away from him crawling to the other side of the closet. “I didn’t want to hold it together anymore because it wasn’t fair that they got to do whatever they wanted, but I can’t just decide I don’t feel like keeping my shit together. Life is unfair, that doesn’t mean I get to do whatever I want. It was wrong to say I wanted to stay! I have to stay with my sisters.”

Negan was about to drag her back, but he didn’t. He watched her talk as she sat in front of him. She looked like she wanted to crawl out of her skin. When she finished that’s when he moved. He stood up and glared down at her as he told her, “Get up.” When she looked up at him he thought she might tell him no and he snarled down at her. She got up at that.

Cosette didn’t resist when he snatched up her wrist and started leading her through the house. Into the hallway, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. When he let go of her and started clearing the table she didn’t get what was happening. He scooped her sister’s leftovers into one of the trashcans near the back door. Then dropped the bowls into the sink. After that he looked to her and asked, “You still hungry?” She shook her head mutely and he pulled out a plate and put it over her bowl before setting it in the fridge. Then he stirred the pot a couple more times before putting the lid on that and shoving it in the fridge too.

Once he was done Negan walked over to the table and pulled out his chair, away from the table, before he sat in it looking at her intently. “We’ve been over this, you don’t get to fucking leave.”

Cosette was positive that she had whiplash. “Did you clean just so you could fight with me?” She asked, astonished.

“No, I cleaned for what might happen next,” Negan frowned deeply before he snapped and pointed at the ground in front of him.

Her eyes widened and Cosette didn’t know if she liked that or hated it. She settled for taking a step back. When he growled she shook her head and took another step back.

**_“Come here now,”_** Negan commanded lowly. The distress that crossed her face was not lost on him. She moved to where he pointed, and Negan grabbed her wrist first and then her neck. “I’m going to be the one in charge now. I’m the only one you have to listen to. You can do what you please within reason unless I say otherwise.”

Cosette pulled at his wrist and shook her head whining. “I can’t!”

“Bullshit!” Negan yelled up at her. “I am your alpha! I’m your fucking alpha and you know it!” When she tried to get away he grabbed her shirt with the hand not containing her throat. **“Say it!”**

“I know!” Cosette screamed back at him. “I know you’re my alpha…” Cosette cried. Her legs were shaky, and she slipped down to her knees. His hands seemed to fall away from her as she slowly fell. She wrapped her arms around him and shoved her face against his stomach. “Alpha! I know you’re my alpha!”

“You going to let me take care of you now?” Negan asked as he settled his hands on his knees. He’d been prepared to do what he said and take his belt to her ass. He’d take this instead.

Cosette nodded against him even though her voice was all caught up in her throat.

“Speak when you’re spoken to…” Negan huffed out as he ran his fingers though her hair and snagged the strands to tilt her head back, so she had no other choice but to look at him.

“Yes…” When his eyes narrowed she mumbled, “Yes Alpha.”

After a moment he helped her back up to her feet asked her, “Now, is there anything you want?”

“Can… can we watch another movie?” Cosette asked as she watched him stand up.

Negan gave a crooked little grin at that and leaned down to kiss the side of her mouth saying, “Whatever you want Honey Girl.”


	6. Let Me Be Surprised

Cosette bit her lip as she looked at the DVD case in her hand. He had her favorite movie, but she doubted he’d want to watch it. She fidgeted with it looking between it and the other options around it. Maybe he’d let her use the tv when he had to do something else…

“All Dogs Go To Heaven? I love that shit!” Negan insisted as he snatched the case from her fingers.

“It’s just a kids’ movie…” Cosette sighed, trying to take it back, carefully keeping her eyes from his face. She didn’t want to see how he was looking at her. She was positive he was teasing her. “You don’t have to watch it, just because I picked it up… I’ll choose something else.”

Negan held it out of reach and growled at her. When she snatched her hands back from him Negan asked, “Do you want to watch the movie?”

“It’s my favorite…” Cosette breathed stepping back from him, her eyes firmly on the ground.

“Then get on the couch,” Negan said waving her towards the couch as he set it up. “Kid, this movie is about gangster dogs, and a girl who talks to animals and is dooped into helping them build a casino by cheating at horse races and kangaroo fights. I mean come on. You listen to those first two songs? The first one Charlie says he’ll still be running rackets when he old, and the other is about him saying he doesn’t want to be dead because heaven is boring, and the pink dog saying that being alive is shit. This is only classified as a kids’ movie because it’s Don Bluth.”

Cosette’s eyes shot up to Negan, and she couldn’t help but watch him in mild amazement. When he stood up and spun on his heel to look at her she asked, “You really like it?”

“Fuck yeah Kid, I said that,” Negan chuckled as he moved over to the couch and pulled her down next to him. “I wasn’t just saying that to make you feel better. I don’t give a shit if you want to watch a kids’ movie I wouldn’t have kept it if I didn’t want to watch it some time.”

“Oh,” fell from her lips as she settled against his side and he started the movie.

Negan wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head as she leaned into him. He watched her for a moment as she smiled, and her arm came around him to grip at his shirt. “That’s my girl,” He hummed before he turned his attention to the movie.

oOo

They were almost halfway through the movie when Negan found Cosette nuzzling at him. He’d pulled her legs over his lap a while ago, but now she was moving onto his lap more. She nuzzled at his shoulder, and then under his jaw. He wondered if she was trying to get his attention, but before he could question her she settled against him, her head turned to see the screen. He let it go and looked back at the movie himself. Only it wasn’t long before her fingers were tracing lazy patterns on his bicep and the inside of his elbow.

Negan glanced down at her, but where she’d moved to she must have felt the movement because she looked right up at him. When she did he leaned down and kissed the side of her mouth, getting her to worry her lower lip before she pressed her face to his neck. He could feel her nuzzling at him, and hear a whine touching her lips.

Cosette didn’t know what to really do. His scent was all wrapped around her, and it was hard to concentrate. Shifting around she tried to be closer to him even though she was already sitting on him. His hand cupped the back of her head, and she gripped at his tee in an attempt not to squirm in his lap. When nuzzling him didn’t seem to be enough Cos moved around so she was straddling his lap. She nuzzled at his jaw and the scruff there as his hands settled on her hips. “Alpha…” she breathed as she fisted her hands in his shirt to keep from pulling at it.

“Fuck…” Negan groaned as he caught her face in his hands to press his forehead to hers, “Fuckity fuck-fuck-fuck, there’s those omega cuddles…” He liked the way she called him Alpha. Like he was the only damn one.

Cosette whined at him as she pressed passed his hands to hide back against his neck. She kissed him there as his hands ran up and down her back. Only it felt like this wasn’t good enough. It was hard to just sit against him. Cos started pulling at him, and she whimpered, “Alpha?... Please?”

Negan moaned against her hair as he pressed one of his hands to the small of her back so she was pressed right against him. “Please what Baby Doll?”

“ _Please…_ ” Cosette keened, not even sure what she wanted him to do for her. She felt warm, and she wanted to rock against him, but she’d just met him. His hands drifted under her shirt and up her back, making her arch. When his fingers played up and down her spine Cosette pleaded with him more, “Please Alpha…”

“You gotta tell me what you want Honey,” Negan huffed at her as his hands gripped her sides under her shirt. He could smell her arousal heating up her scent. She was mouthwatering, he’d bet anything she was wet for him, but he wouldn’t take something she wasn’t giving. “I don’t read minds, and you’re not in heat, so you tell me what you want. I’ll give you what you want.”

Cosette whined, and squirmed as she looked at him. Her hands gripped his forearms before telling him, no louder than a whisper, “Please… hold me tighter…”

Negan stopped and looked up at her before he pulled her against him hard. One hand came out from her shirt to cup the back of her head, but the other braced her back under her shirt still. He held her tighter against him. He knew what he hoped she’d say, but he wasn’t sure what brought this on. After a moment he moved them around, so he was leaning back against the arm of the couch with her on him. He needed to calm down before he started getting hard for her.

Cosette clung to his shirt. She didn’t want him to let her go, but she’d been too afraid to ask for what she really wanted. For him to touch her more…

“Not so big and bad high off my scent, are you?” Negan huffed against her hair. He couldn’t help but smile when she shook her head no. “Still my good girl…”

oOo

“I’m not tired…” Cosette complained against Negan’s shoulder as he carried her up the stairs.

“Don’t you be telling me lies little girl,” Negan scolded her lightly as he held her against him. Her legs lightly clung to his sides, and her arms looped around his shoulders. She wasn’t really putting up any fight against him, and he knew that she didn’t want to sleep because of the nightmares she had. They’d both been asleep on the couch until he found her whimpering and whining against him.

“I’m just going to wake us up again…” Cosette muttered as she propped her chin up on his shoulder. “I can stay in my nest so you can get some sleep…”

“No, you can’t,” Negan told her plain and simple as he carried her towards his room. “If you don’t put up a fight I’ll let you sleep in my shirt instead of naked.”

“Why do I always have to be naked?” Cosette whined lightly as he rubbed the bottom of her thigh.

“I like seeing you,” Negan huffed as he walked into his room. “I like touching you but seeing you in my shirt will be good enough for now.” Moving over to the bed he set her down on the edge and knelt to take off her socks.

Cosette watched him in mild fascination as he did such a mundane task for her. She was too tired to do much more than watch him. He dropped them off to the side and then moved closer to pull at the button on her jeans. She leaned back on her hands, frowning as he got it undone and pulled down the zipper. He patted at her thigh and Cos lifted her hips for him. Negan pulled her pants from her legs and put them on top of her socks.

When he stood Negan found her blinking up at him like she’d never laid eyes on him. He grinned at her and pressed closer so one of his legs was between hers. He gripped the hem of her shirt telling her, “Up.” She hesitated, but then she listened and lifted up her arms. Then he leaned over her more to undo her bra. She grabbed onto his shirt then and Negan paused letting her hold onto him.

“I like you…” Cosette mumbled against him tiredly. She did though. She liked him a lot. He was big and strong, and she wanted him. She felt awkward, and like she didn’t know what she was doing, but she wanted him to know that she liked him.

“Do you?” Negan chuckled as he rubbed her back. When she nodded against him he pulled away from her to get his shirt off. He watched her discard her bra, even though after her shoulders hunched and she leaned forward trying to hide from him. “I’ve been looking at ya all day, now yer shy?”

“This is different…” Cosette grumbled. It was hard to keep her eyes open, and she had to blink up at him so his face would focus in her vision. “I’m not in trouble…”

Once he pulled off his shirt he handed it to her, seeing how heavy her eyes were. He unbuckled his belts and let them fall as she just barely got the shirt on. Once he’d kicked his jeans from his feet, he used the bed to balance as he got his own socks off, but before he could stand up Cosette’s arms were around him. She pulled him into her and he landed on her none too gently. “You okay Honey? Baby Doll?”

“I’m tired…” was her only reply as Negan pulled her up with him. He picked her up and moved them to the top of the bed. He set her down and she crawled over a bit, but once he was settled she was attached to him once more. “I want…” Cosette started, but she only mumbled some after that.

“What do you want?” Negan gently coaxed as he turned onto his side to hold her. “Hm? Honey Girl?”

Cosette shook her head, and nuzzled closer to him.

oOo

A yell got caught in her throat, as her eyes shot open. She pushed and shoved still trying to get away from the zombie she knew so well. Only to find Negan gently trying to restrain her. His hair was a mess, and his eyes were heavy. Slowly she let Negan pull her closer until she was back against his chest. It was then she realized that she was crying.

“What’s wrong Baby Doll?” Negan asked, his voice rough with sleep.

“I don’t want to die…” Cosette whimpered as she wiped at her eyes.

“It was a nightmare Baby Girl, you’re not going to die…” Negan told her as he held her closer. He kept his eyes on the top of her head as she cried quietly against him. Trying to wipe away the tears as they appeared on her cheeks. “I got you.”

Cosette held in what she really wanted to say, that she should have, because she knew Negan wouldn’t like that. She let him hold her tightly, and she wrapped an arm over him to help press her closer. He was so warm, and she nuzzled at the fuzz on his chest.

“My pretty baby girl,” Negan mumbled as he nuzzled at her, starting to go back to sleep as she calmed in his arms.

When Cosette sensed that Negan was falling back to sleep she panicked a little, and pressed at him. “Alpha?” Cosette whined as she pulled at him. He moved some so he was laying partially over her, his head on her chest for a moment. When she whined and whimpered more he lifted up onto his forearms to look at her, and she tried to tell him something, anything that might keep him awake longer, “Please Alpha, I… please…”

“What is it Baby Doll?” Negan asked nosing at her cheek. “Tell me what you want…” His hips rolled against her thigh as he went on huskily, “I wanna give you what you want.” He was tired, but he remembered the warm smell of her arousal earlier. He wondered if he could get her to smell like that again.

Cosette shivered as his breath fanned across her jaw.  The nightmare seemed a little farther away the more he spoke, his voice was gruff against her skin, and she didn’t want him to sleep for a different reason. “Please… I want…” she trailed off, whining, and squirming under him as he moved, shoving his thigh between hers. How did she tell him what she wanted even if he clearly knew? He’d be able to smell how he was starting to turn her on.

“You gotta use your big girl words…” Negan groaned as he bit lightly at her jaw, “Hmm? You tell Daddy what you want.”

Cosette jolted when she heard that, her hips bucked against his thigh. Her center clenched, in the most bittersweet way. She whimpered as he moved up more onto his hands and knees to look at her. When he smiled it looked feral, and he knew she liked what he said.


	7. Needy

_“You gotta use your big girl words…” Negan groaned as he bit lightly at her jaw, “Hmm? You tell Daddy what you want.”_

Cosette whined as she looked up at him, that last part repeating in her head. She squirmed, and Negan leaned down to touch his forehead to hers. “I want… I want you to touch me…” Cosette pleaded with him. When he leaned up away from her she felt even smaller.

“Oh Kid, I am touching you,” Negan teased his lips moving to trace her cheek. He even moved so his thigh was pressed more firmly between her legs. When she whimpered up at him he chuckled and told her, “Tell me where you want me to touch you, and do it nicely.”

“Please…!” Cosette keened as she rolled her hips against him.

Negan clicked his tongue at her disapprovingly. “Oh, no, Girly, tell me exactly what you want.”

Cosette’s hands came up to grab onto his forearms as she tried to figure out how to say what he wanted. She looked up at him, biting her lip first. Then she mumbled, embarrassed, “Please, touch my… touch me…” Then she wimped out muttering, “Down there…”

“Down there,” Negan hummed, and his hand trailed to her hip, “Here?” She shook her head her hand moving down to grip his wrist. His hand traveled up to her lower belly as he teased, “Here?” Cos shook her head again, but when his hand started to move she shoved his wrist back. “ _Oh!_ you want me to touch that pretty pussy of yours?” He waited as she nodded, the softest little whine leaving her. He cupped her firmly over the thin material keeping her from him, but he didn’t give her any of that friction she was so desperately trying to seek. When she seemed distressed by his inaction, her eyes seeking out his, her teeth grabbing onto her lip, he smiled patiently at her. “Ask me, using some of those fine fucking manners I know you got.”

Cosette squirmed under him, her hands dropping down to grip the sheets under her. She bucked against his hand whimpering, “Please… please touch my pussy… Daddy. _Alpha._ ” That made warmth spread across the whole of her body.

“Fuck, I like that,” Negan growled as he rubbed at her pantie covered sex. She was making him hard. “I liked everything about how you said that. Such a good girl.”

That did something to her, made the ache where he was touching worse, and better at the same time. She could feel how wet he was making her, and surely he could feel it too even through her underwear.

“Gonna take these off,” Negan insisted as he grabbed the hem of her underwear, his eyes flashed up to hers to see her nod, and he pulled them from her hips, moving back to get them off her.  Her hands grabbed at his shirt on her body, and for a moment he thought she was going to take it off for him, but then he realized she didn’t want him to take it. “What is it Kid?”

“I like it,” Cosette breathed, almost more embarrassed that she wanted his shirt then she was about wanting him to finger her. “I want it. Please, _Alpha_.”

“Yeah Kid, I’ll let you keep my shirt.” Negan wanted to see the faces she made while he finger fucked her in his shirt. He crawled back over her, slotting his legs between hers to keep them open for him. “Put your hands on me, and don’t you fucking let go.” Negan demanded as he drank in her body under him. He watched as her hands pulled from the bedding, slowly, and gripped at him softly. Like she was afraid of breaking him. It made him chuckle as her fingers brushed gently along his skin, one hand on his forearm, the other on his shoulder, against his neck. “Good girl.”

Cosette whined as he lazily explored her. He rubbed her before dragging two fingers through her wetness. He groaned looking down at her, and she was aware of grabbing at him harder for a moment. Then his thumb rubbed her clit in rough circles, and he put teeth into his grin when she jerked against him. This wasn’t enough, _so good_ , but not enough.

He could see that neediness claim her eyes. Negan knew his little mate wanted more than the slow exploration he was giving her, but he wanted her needy. Didn’t want her to fucking forget _needing_ him to make her feel good. Wanted her to remember when the ache wouldn’t go away that he could help with that. He moved his hand to circle his middle finger around her opening. Her legs tried to shut against his hips, before they opened more when he persisted without dipping his finger inside her. She squirmed, and tried to buck against his hand, but he cupped her again instead.

“Negan!” Her voice came out sharp and demanding, her hands slamming down against the bed in frustration, and Cosette was aware of the mistake the millisecond before his eyes cut up to hers. “No wait! I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” she tried to take it back, but was too scared to try and touch him again. The look he was giving her sharpened though, and Cosette stopped. Squirming under the weight of the silence instead of pleasure.

“I think that’s enough for tonight,” Negan told her his smile dark, and just as sharp as his gaze. He could see that she wanted to object, but she stopped before he could cut her off. Instead he added, a touch softer, because she was still so preciously new, “Gotta listen better next time, hmm? Not take that tone with me?”

Cosette was embarrassed, but she knew he was waiting for an answer. Her hands gripped at his shirt on her body, right over her belly as she nodded, her eyes on the hallow of his throat, “Y-yes… I’ll do better next time…” He didn’t move from over her though and she whimpered, her eyes snapping shut, “I’ll do better Alpha.”

Negan frowned a bit before he sat back on his knees and pulled her up so she was kneeling in front of him. He leaned in and kissed the side of her mouth, her jaw, and then her forehead. “Go into the bathroom in your room, clean yourself up, and get in your nest. I’ll be right there.” He lamented that here he was again, going to jack off in the bathroom. She nodded and awkwardly, but endearingly, crawled off the bed, only when she went to snag her underwear off the floor he scolded her, “Uh-huh you leave those right there, and no touching yourself either.”

Cosette frowned, flushed further it felt like, and nodded. She quickly scampered off into the hallway, and into her room. Once safely in the bathroom, door closed, she glanced at herself in the mirror, before looking down at the sink. She wasn’t sure how to feel. The ache between her legs still seemed so urgent… not helped in the least by his order not to touch herself.

There was no way she was doing that though. Even if he was probably in the bathroom doing the exact thing he told her not to do. Huffing she turned from the mirror and started on cleaning herself up. It’s not like she was in heat. She could control herself, especially knowing he could walk in on her… among other reasons.

oOo

Negan wandered into Cosette’s room, and over to the closet to find her already curled up in her nest. He took notice to the way two pillows found their way on top, and she was curled under a blanket watching him warily. Letting out an amused breath he got down and crawled under the blanket with her. He pulled her up against him, and threw a leg over hers. He doubted she’d gone against his command, she’d be more nervous, fidgeting. He nuzzled at her and hummed, “Night Kid.”

Cosette cautiously wrapped an arm around him, her face to his chest. She didn’t know what to do with herself. She had expected him to question her, but he didn’t, and she was thankful. Even though she’d listened to him it probably would have made her nervous anyway, which would no doubt make her seem guilty. “Night…” Cosette mumbled. Only, she needed to know something. “Why did we move to my nest?”

Negan pet the back of her head before telling her, “We made the bed smell like sex, but also I’m hoping it’ll help you sleep better.”

“Oh,” Cosette mumbled, not wanting to say what was really on her mind, which was something along the lines, of _I doubt it_.

“Oh! you just go the fuck to sleep,” Negan huffed affectionately at her. He knew she thought it wouldn’t help. He pet her hair, and rubbed her back hoping to lull her back to sleep.

“You know I really liked that book.” Cosette told him very matter of factly, without missing a beat. It made him laugh, a real, deep, belly laugh against her hair. It made her smile. “Still, I guess I’ll go the fuck to sleep.” She laughed lightly back at him.

oOo

Negan sighed as he walked back into Cosette’s closet. He’d been summoned from sleep by knocking. It’d been irritating enough, but behind her sisters bitching had been Simon actually trying to get shit done. He was needed. Runs were about to be done. Apparently, there was talk that having an omega was going to make him soft. Now he had shit to do.

He had about an hour before he needed to start getting it done.

That was plenty of time to figure out what to do with his omega. Let her stay home, maybe let her spend time with her sisters, or bring her with him. He didn’t have to go on a run this time around. Wouldn’t go until after her heat and his rut since they would end up right on top of each other.

Cosette tossed around a little her head left her pillow in favor of his, but her nose still scrunched. Then she was awake, and she jolted up onto her hands and knees. A chuckle got her to sit on her knees and look over her shoulder at him.

“Something happenin’?” Cosette asked as she rubbed at her face. He was dressed already, but he was minus leather jacket and Lucille, so she wasn’t sure.

“Nothing terribly fucking special, but I’m going to have to venture out of the house today,” Negan explained, “Unless you’re going into heat in the immediate, today, future.”

“Doubtful?” Cosette offered as she pushed herself up onto her feet while preserving her modesty as much as she could.

“Good then you can come along,” Negan decided right then and there. He didn’t want to leave her alone in the house. She’d definitely do something stupid like answering the door to her sisters. Then he had no doubt that she’d be upset by the time he got home. Even if they started following them around he could ward them off, or at worse have them carried off…

“Dressed?” Cosette pried, unconsciously tugging at the hem of the shirt she was wearing.

Negan’s eyes dropped down to the movement, one side of his lips quirking up. “When we head out, yeah, but for now, I like you just the way you are.” His tongue poked at his bottom lip before his eyes flashed back up to her face to see her biting her lip uncertainly. Seeing her he couldn’t help but tease, “You wanna give me a peek?”

Cosette’s heart raced, and seemed to send all the blood right to her face. “I… uh…” Her hands pulled at the shirt in the front making it longer. He really wanted to look at her?

“Mmh, maybe breakfast first?” Negan hummed, clearly amused with her. Only then they both seemed to become very serious. Yesterday had been longer than either of them really realized. “You’re gonna behave yourself.”

Cosette nodded her head jerkily. “I promise I won’t do that again.”

“Good,” Negan breathed before he turned and started to lead her downstairs.

oOo

Breakfast had been simple fair. Some cereal, stale but still kind of sweet.  When they finished Negan put his dish in the sink, but when Cosette followed suit he pressed up against her back. His hands gripped the sink on either side of her, caging her in.

“Do you want me to touch you?” Negan asked his lips dipping down to speak behind her ear.

Maybe being fully awake made her more aware of what the repercussions of this could be, and Cos whined, “You’re going to make it happen faster!”

Negan laughed lowly. “You didn’t answer my question, Kid”

Cosette froze, forced to think about it. It’d felt good last night… Maybe this time he’d let her… “Please?”

Negan’s hands found her hips roughly, then he pulled her back against him more. “Was that a question? Do you not know Kid?” He questioned her as he looked down the line of her body in his shirt. “Daddy’ll take care of you, but you gotta want it.”

“Please! want you to.” Cosette insisted her hands gripping at his forearms. When he hummed questioningly at her she keened as she pressed back against him, “ _Daddy…”_

“Good girl.” Negan insisted before he found her clit. He rubbed her in lazy circles. “Now call me Alpha. Can’t decide what I want today. My, ‘mega or my little girl. Want all of ya.”

“Alpha!” Cosette yelped as he eased a finger in her. She hadn’t been expecting it, and now her hips rolled against his hand.

“Fuck,” he groaned against her temple. “Fuckity fuck, you’re tight. Yer so fucking little aren’t you?”

Cosette gasped, and nodded as she pressed her shoulders back into his chest. He slowly pumped one finger in and out before he added the second gradually. His other arm banded just under her bust. Her legs shook, and she whined still trying to press against him more. “Alpha…” Cosette whined at him, nervous. It was hard to stand feeling like this.

“What is it Honey Girl?” Negan asked nuzzling at her. Only before she could answer him there was knocking. Fast and urgent. “Fuck.” Negan snarled, as he bit at her jaw, and eased his fingers from her. “Sit at the table and wait for me to come get you.” Negan demanded as he reluctantly let her go, but eagerly popped his fingers in his mouth.

Once she was seated, her eyes fixed right on his mouth, he turned and stormed out of the kitchen and over to the door. He growled taking his fingers from his mouth as he opened the door. Outside was the more lithe of the sisters, Alice. Her nose scrunched as she looked at him, before her face became flush. After a moment she offered “I wanted to apologize for Mina…”

“You still can’t see her,” Negan snapped.

“I doubt she’d want to see me just this second,” Alice laughed nervously before clearing her throat, “We want to see our sister though. This time without the yelling, and fighting. Maybe if there’s somewhere outside we can see her, or even in the backyard of one of our houses… Just somewhere…”

“Somewhere the scent of the big bad alpha stealing your baby sister isn’t so strong,” Negan surmised with a huff before he caught her nod a bit meekly. He licked his lips, glancing back towards where Cosette was. “Tomorrow for lunch.”

“Yes! Thank you!” Alice said before scurrying off.

Negan regarded her back for a moment before he shut the door. He’d invite some of the top saviors over too. Some more to distract them from him and Cosette. Hopefully those girls would find an alpha that got them going, and they’d leave him the fuck alone with their sister. Wandering back into the kitchen he found Cos squirming around her hands fisted against the tops of her thighs. She watched him through her lashes, clearly embarrassed. His eyes flicked over to the microwave which held the time.

It was time to get ready…

It hadn’t been his intention to leave her hanging, but maybe it’d be to their benefit tonight. Maybe if he got her off tonight after she had to wait all day, she’d wear herself out and sleep better…

“Let’s get you a shower so you don’t get anyone going,” Negan told her his lips tilting up into an easy smile, “We have to get on with our day.”

Cosette wanted to object. She wanted to whine, and keen, and plead with him to touch her more, but she didn’t. She was too embarrassed. Instead Cos nodded and stood up, only to falter at the feeling of her thighs sliding because of her wetness. It felt too much like the slick she’d produce when she went into heat. She shuddered at that, only to gasp when Negan gripped her upper arm, his eyes sharp and hard on hers.

It was a long moment before he could pull himself together asking, “Everything okay?”

“Y-yes Alpha,” Cosette mumbled softly.

Negan stiffly let go of her before nudging her towards the hall out of the kitchen. “Go get washed, I’ll get you some clothes.” He watched her scamper away from him before he took a deep breath. Maybe it was best that he teased her. She needed to go into heat before he went into rut, so he’d be together enough to ease her into it. He didn’t have confidence in his control this time, but maybe if he was already focused on her he’d stay that way instead of being as rough as he knew he could be…

 

Negan started for her room with this new knowledge swirling around in his head.


	8. Mine

“ _Negan_ …” Cosette whined as he rubbed the towel over her, having pulled it from her when she ventured into the room looking for clothing. At least that’s what he seemed to be pretending to do. It didn’t feel like he was drying her off. “You said we had to get going!”  
  
“But Kid, I’m helping,” Negan chuckled darkly as he explored her body through the towel.  
  
Cosette tried to object. She wanted to tell him that he’d just made her take a shower, but that now it’d be for nothing. She couldn’t say that though… Really, she wanted him to stop using the towel to touch her. It was frustrating! She wanted him to touch her, and she didn’t want anyone to interrupt them! He was going to let her… before…  
  
Negan growled when Cosette pushed and shoved to back away from him. “The hell, Kid?”  
  
She tried to cover all the important things with her arms and hands growling weakly at him, “You’re just teasing me!”  
  
A sheepish smile took Negan’s lips as he held the towel open for her. She just eyed him suspiciously though. Letting out an affectionate huff Negan told her, “I wasn’t trying to be mean to my little girl, I just couldn’t help myself.” Negan didn’t want to tell her what he was worried about. She didn’t need to know that he might go into rut before she went into heat.  
  
Cosette huffed back at him, and with only some hesitation moved so he could wrap her up in the towel again. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, making her smile a bit.  
  
When he seemed to be forgiven Negan told her, “Come on, let’s get you dressed.”  
  
oOo  
  
“So how does this whole kneeling thing actually work?” Cosette questioned as they walked down the street. There were plenty of people, but no one was kneeling. In fact the only person she’d ever seen kneel was Shawn. Everyone was bustling about, working. Perhaps they weren’t looking directly at him, but they were still as aware of his presence as she was.  
  
“Kneeling is required in work places, the courtyard we hold meetings in, residences, or if I regard a person or group directly on the street.” Negan explained as he swung Lucille around by his side. Cosette was a step or two behind him on the other side. “Back at the Sanctuary it was just whenever I came into eyesight, but everything is so open here I laxed on that particular rule. Your sisters are going to have to get with the fucking picture though, how often they show up on my goddamn doorstep.”  
  
Cosette jogged a few steps to put herself back next to him. She looked up at him a bit dazzled. Of course he was an alpha, _her Alpha_ , but he was just so confident. She hid her hands in the sleeves of the red long sleeved shirt she was wearing, and went back to looking around. She was still embarrassed of how she felt about him. He was still basically a stranger, though he did tell her some things…  
  
A stranger that was picking her clothes, and sleeping next to her, and touching her body… The clothes though, because it was the safest thing to think about in the open… He said all she’d had left in way of bottoms was these shorts, since he still wouldn’t just give her back her clothes she had no way to be sure, but it was pretty nice out anyway. The sun was all the way up, but it’d be cold later when the sun started to sink. He said they’d be home by then. That they’d get her some extra clothing today anyway. She wondered if this would take a lot of time.  
  
Negan glanced at her, grinning at the way that she was avoiding looking at him now. He swung Lucille up onto his shoulder, quite pleased with himself. First stop was to give marching orders to the teams going on runs. Those doing pick-ups and those going scavenging. Cosette wouldn’t really have to do anything, just tag along and keep him company.  
  
As they got to the groups in front of the gates though Cosette seemed to slip behind him a step. It was then Negan realized just how many alphas had amassed in The Haven. Sure, there were betas about, but the runs were headed by alpha’s who had their right hands who were usually alpha. He let her hide behind him as the men kneeled before him.  
  
Cosette stepped over just enough to see all those men and women kneeling in front of him. Even other alphas. When she caught their eyes on her though Cosette shuffled back behind him more, her fingers catching one of the buckles on his leather jacket as he released them all to stand. He turned his head just a bit to flash her a smile, that made her duck her head to hide the heat rushing to her face. Thankfully, Negan started talking.  
  
“Alrighty boy and girls. You all have your teams and you know your runs. Those of you doing pick ups I want everyone coming back with what we have been fucking promised. If they’re not ponying up, you go through their shit, which is really our shit, until you find what we’re owed, or something of equal value. No more, but no less either. Times are going to get real fucking lean, just like last year, and we don’t want them to think we’ll go easy on them. We already ask for less food in winter, but they have to make up for it other ways.” Some of the teams seemed to be nodding along to that, and Cosette let go of him as he started to put his whole body into what he was saying. She didn’t want him to feel like she was restraining him, though she caught him casting a look back at her. “Those of you going scavenging. It’s going to be getting cold again. More clothes, blankets… you know what? Fucking fabric. You go by one of those hobby, or craft stores, you go in and find fabric and shit to sew with, someone here has to know how to make some half-decent clothing. Can’t keep looting Walmarts for-fucking-ever!” There was more nodding, and some verbal agreement.  
  
Cosette was a bit surprised when Negan caught her hand. “Back within three days for pickups, back within a week for scavenging, or we’ll send out a search party for you, and you better need it!” Negan continued, “Good luck!” Then he started leading her away. When she glanced back over her shoulder she found many of them still watching after them. Cosette turned back and moved faster to keep pace with Negan.  
  
When Negan looked down at Cosette she tried to let go of his hand, but he wasn’t having it. She bit her lip and kept walking with him for a moment before she asked, “There’s… there’s a lot of alphas here. Isn’t there?”  
  
Negan stopped walking, carefully taking Lucille down from his shoulder as he stood in front of her. “There are, but the only fucking alpha allowed to touch you is me.” He leaned in close at that a large grin taking his lips, “If someone ever even _tries_ , you tell me. I’ll make sure everyone sees the fucking vile things I do to them, so no one even _thinks_ about it again.”  
  
oOo  
  
Cosette leaned into Negan as he spoke with Simon and a few other people in his office in a house that seemed to be turned into some kind of townhall. She was standing mostly behind him her forehead to his back. Her novelty had worn off with this current group but she didn’t want to wander too far from Negan either way. She was getting tired, which was ridiculous. All she’d done was follow him around. Still, it didn’t change how she felt. She yawned against the leather of his jacket just as there was a knock on the door.  
  
“About time lunch got here!” Gavin insisted as he walked over to the door and the others started to disperse towards the chairs scattered around the room. Three at a table, Simon was still talking with Negan about some place called The Kingdom.  
  
When Cosette turned her head to look at the food being brought in she unconsciously took a step closer to Negan. She was flush against his back now. Nathen and Shawn were delivering the food on platters. Nathen looked like he nearly dropped his. Worse Negan moved enough to turn and look down at her before his eyes narrowed.  
  
Then he eyed the boys, neither much or any older than Cosette. He recognized the one who brought them bread, so the other one. Blonde hair that was cut short. Average build and height. The boy kept his eyes on the tray taking it right to the table…  
  
Cosette grabbed Negan’s hand with both of hers hoping to draw his attention down to her. She certainly got his attention. He turned to her and reached down snatching up the front of her shirt to pull her closer. Then his lips crashed against hers. When she tried to pull away, embarrassed, he nipped at her lip getting her to whine at him. It didn’t stop him from tugging on her hair either, so she’d open her mouth for him. It didn’t help that she liked the attention he was giving her. It didn’t help that she knew everyone was watching, even though she was too scared to open her eyes and face it.  
  
Negan relented after a moment and Cos looked at him for a moment before hiding against his chest. Some of his guys whistled and basically howled. He watched as the younger alpha puffed up, before he stormed away, his beta friend scurrying after him. Gavin shut the door once the boys were out and Negan pressed his hands into Cosette’s hair getting her to look up at him. “Mine…” He growled low.  
  
Cosette swallowed thickly, but nodded just the same. “Alpha…” She breathed, her lips forming the word more than it could be heard out loud.  
  
“Let’s eat!” Arat called from the table, the alpha female trying to break the serious moment.  
  
It worked Negan nodded and led Cosette over to the food.  
  
oOo  
  
After everyone had eaten the others filed out of the room. Negan frowned as he watched Cosette curled into the small leather chair in front of his desk. She’d dozed off, Arat had moved her bowl onto his desk so she could eat later. She’d slept even though everyone kept talking and even yelling over each other. Fatigue was apart of preheat.  
  
Standing up Negan walked around the desk and knelt down in front of her. He knew she was tired when she was leaning into him, but he thought she’d make it through lunch. She needed to eat, she would need her strength. Only, she didn’t seem to be having a nightmare. Reaching up he cupped her cheek gently, and decided that he’d let her sleep, but as he pulled away and stood up, she jolted. Her eyes were so wide as she looked up at him. “You’re okay Kid, you just dozed off,” he explained as he watched her sit up. “Are you still hungry? Your food is right here.”  
  
Cosette nodded and accepted the bowl when he handed it to her. “It’s going to happen soon…” Cosette breathed as she picked at the salad in front of her. “Probably by the end of the week.” That was so fast. That was way too fast.  
  
Negan nodded as he sat in the chair next to her. “I know.” If it wasn’t for those damn suppressants she was taking she probably would have went into heat the day he caught her, and he would have tumbled right into his rut because of it.  
  
Biting her lip Cosette kept her eyes on her food. She didn’t know what to say. She knew what she was feeling… Only, she didn’t know about saying it.  
  
“You need to eat Kid,” Negan told her as he pet her hair, and stood up to go back to his desk. “I have some things to look over while you finish, and then we’ll go get you some more clothes.”  
  
Only when he went to turn away from her Cosette grabbed his hand. She shook her head, lowering her eyes from his. “I…” Cos started but stopped, unsure if she should tell him, or just wait it out.  
  
Negan took her bowl and put it back on the table before he knelt back down. “What’s wrong Kid?”  
  
Cosette looked down at him as he leaned to get in her field of vision. She reached out to him, wanting to be held. How was she supposed to tell him that she was scared of going into heat with her alpha there. Negan took her hands and helped her down onto his lap. Cosette clung to him, hiding her face against his shoulder and neck.  
  
“Honey Girl?” Negan questioned as he rubbed her back, holding her against him tightly.  
  
“I… I’m scared…” Cosette spoke against his neck. She didn’t know if she wanted him to hear her. That was ridiculous wasn’t it?  
  
“Of what?” Negan asked as he coaxed her face into his hands.  
  
“I don’t want to go into heat…” Cosette keened as she tried to lean out of his hold.  
  
“We’ve talked about this,” Negan frowned as he let go of her face but wrapped his arms around her so she wouldn’t bolt. He could feel her tears like they were burning his neck once she’d hid against him again. “It’s just your heat. A week or so of being horny and getting off, and then it’s over for another year.” Cosette shook her head against him and he sighed, and cupped the back of her head. “Why are you scared?” She just shook her head again though. He held her trying to think about it. Sure, her first time…   
  
First time.   
  
That’s what it was. She was going to go into heat for her second time. Because for three years there had been the whole apocalypse going on, and she’d been taking suppressants. She wasn’t some teenager anymore, but she hadn’t had to sort out her shit after her first time went so badly. “Is it because you don’t really know what the fuck to expect?” Negan asked as he lowered his hands to her hips, hoping she’d look at him without him having to force her.  
  
Cosette nodded against him, she didn’t think she could say it. She was supposed to be an adult and here she was scared to go into heat…  
  
“Are you going to want me when you go into heat?” Negan asked as softly as he could.  
  
Cosette’s hands found their way passed his unzipped jacket to grip at his shirt. He was letting her hide against him, so she moved a little, her forehead to his shoulder to give her room to talk. “Y-Yeah… I think so…”  
  
“We’ll talk about that again later,” Negan huffed. I think so was not _Yes, I want you to knot me_ , so they’d come back around to that. Still, he went on, “But, I know you know what physically happens, you literally get all hot and bothered.” His hand slid down to her thighs running his fingers along the hem of her shorts as he told her, “You’ll be so wet your slick will cover your thighs, making sure you can take my fat cock, and even bigger knot. Only, first I’ll play with you, and get you to come… over, and fucking over again,” Negan leaned down and nudged at her cheek with his nose when he noticed her grab at his shirt harder. “I’ll go into rut, but it won’t stop me from tasting you, and fingering you, no fucking interruptions. The best part will be knotting you, not gonna lie.” He grabbed her chin at that, getting her to look up at him, “I’ll be locked inside you, so you can’t get away from me.”  
  
Cosette whined as she looked up at him, that sounded _so good_. She leaned up and nuzzled at his jaw.  
  
Negan enjoyed the attention, but still couldn’t help but growl, “Because you’re all mine.” She whined against the underside of his jaw, but it just made him growl more. “ _Mine_.” She nuzzled against his neck, no doubt getting his scent all over her. Only that wasn’t enough. She smelled kind of like him, but that wasn’t nearly enough. He pressed her back against the chair, but it was too rough and the chair slid back. Cos held onto him though, and he just shoved the chair away from them. He laid her down and settled himself over her, rubbing against her. “You’re all fucking mine, aren’t you?”  
  
Whining Cosette kissed at his neck, and shoulder, and any part of him she could reach.  
  
“ _Fuck yeah, you are_!” Negan bared his teeth as he leaned up just enough to look down at her.

**Author's Note:**

> So I have this up on Tumblr, but I'm all caught up so they're at the same place. I'm working on the next chapter, and it's coming along alright.


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